Tuesday's Tome: A Matter of Murder

This was a fun one to review for School Library Journal.  I am a freak about all things "Pride and Prejudice."  So when this one came up, I could not refuse.  Here is my review of "A Matter of Murder." 

“A Matter Of Murder” is the conclusion to the Lizzie & Darcy duology. Ms. Price first establishes the characters in the previous book “In Want of a Suspect” (HarperCollins 2024).  Here is where Lizzie is established as a solicitor in her father’s firm, Longbourne, and where she meets the dashing Mr. Darcy.
 
In the latest mystery from Tirzah Price, Lizzie Bennet’s beloved sister, Jane has married Mr. Bingley and then moved to Netherfield Park.  The Bennet family along with Mr. Darcy decides to pay the newlyweds a visit. However, the visit soon turns menacing as a dead body has been found in the flue of the fireplace.  Lizzie, hoping for a bit of a rest from her last case, cannot help herself and soon a full blown investigation ensues. During her inquiries, Lizzie finds out that Netherfield is cursed, at least that is what the locals say.Knowing better than to believe in the absurdity of a curse, Lizzie and Darcy try to uncover the truth of the dead man found in the chimney.  The more they delve into the case, the more dangerous it becomes.  Now Lizzie and Darcy have to decide if the curse is real, or is there someone behind the scenes threatening them.
 
Fans of Jane Austen will delight in encountering familiar faces—Lizzie, her parents, her lively younger sisters, Darcy, Jane, Mr. Bingley, and even the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. While a few plotlines diverge from the original Pride and Prejudice (Peter Pauper, 2023), the most notable difference is that Lizzie and Darcy do not marry alongside Jane and Mr. Bingley. Instead, they remain unmarried throughout much of this story. Still, devoted Austen enthusiasts will appreciate the twist and enjoy this charming mystery, where Lizzie and Darcy join forces and ultimately discover love together.
 
Verdict:  Those who love Jane Austen and/or mysteries will adore this version of the beloved couple, Lizzie and Darcy.  The book will be a superb addition to any 9-12th grade library.
 

Blog Posts - Our Favorites

 

I’m honestly surprised I’ve been able to keep this blog going since August 2012. A lot has changed since then, but I definitely still love what I do.  In looking back at all of the blog posts, here are the most popular ones.

In 5th place with 459 visits, #FirstPageFriday, April 2, 2019

In this post, I started advertising different eBooks from one of our digital resources called Open eBook.  It is an app that houses many different eBooks.  This app is free for Title I schools. I was worried about advertising a book from our collection and having it checked out the first day, and no one else having that chance to read it.  These eBooks have unlimited access which means many students can read the same book at the same time.  Problem solved!

In 4th place with 525 visits, Half Way Through the 40 Book Pledge, January 30, 2020

This was the first year I instituted the 40 Book Pledge as a reading challenge/book club.  The object of the challenge was to read 40 books from the 1st day of the school year to the last day of the school.  That averages 1 book per week - 36 weeks of school and 4 weeks on break (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break).  in addition, we met in person once a month to discuss the different books we were reading. Over the years this challenge evolved from a stand alone reading challenge to a book club to a book club with a digital component, Beanstack.  I'm looking at changing it up again for next year.  Stay tuned!

In 3rd place with 1227 visits is Christmas in the Library, December 12, 2012.

This was only my 5th blog entry ever.  This was when Blanca, Karen, and I were in the middle of Senior research while trying to decorate the library for Christmas.  I believe this was our first book Christmas tree, and we were invaded by Gingerbread men.  We also hid elves in our shelves in a different spot every day.  The students who found the elf got a flavored candy cane.  I might need to bring this tradition back.  That was fun!

In 2nd place with 1465 visits is Fall Fun in the Library, November 11, 2013.

We apparently hosted a carnival in the library for the Fall Open House.  After re-reading this post, I am exhausted.  LOL!  In addition to that, we went all out on the Halloween decorations.  I'm not sure I am ready to bring all that back.  That carnival was a lot of work, and those decorations were amazing.  We did have fun though!

In 1st place with 4915 visits is I Read . . . What's Your Superpower, May 26, 2013

I believe this was our first "Patron Appreciation Day," which is just a big party after school to celebrate the end of the year.  Our theme was superheroes.  So we decorated the library, had different arts and crafts, and gave away comic books.  There was never a dull moment when Blanca, Karen and I were together.  Those were the days!

Well, thanks for humoring me as I strolled down memory lane!  Keep reading.

End of Year Statistics for 25-26

 Overall, I am pleased with this year.  Most all of my usage statistics trend upward which is always a good sign that the library is well used.  The only one that went down - slightly - are the books added to the collection this year.  We added 559 books last year, and only 471 this year.

The trend I find most interesting are the top 10 books checked out this year.  This year 6 of them are manga/graphic novels, and only 4 traditional fiction and nonfiction books earned a top spot this year.  However, last year I had only 3 manga/graphic novels make the top 10 list.  That means there were 7 fiction or nonfiction books.  Funny enough - Atomic Habits made the list in the 10 spot both years.  What are the odds of that?

If you want to compare last year to this year, you can visit my previous blog post and compare.  End of 24-25 School Year.

Now that my last contract day is here, I am so ready for summer.  I plan to read, play with my kitties, and float in our pool. I am sure there will be some house maintenance to be done, but I plan to enjoy every free day I have.  

Enjoy! Keep reading.

Tuesday's Tome: The Other Bennet Sister

 

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow was a very long read.  I have quite the commute to and from school every day, and I check out audiobooks through the Dallas Public Library on the Libby App.  This was my longest read yet at 18 hours.  I'd like to mention that I am one of those people who always read audiobooks at "normal speed," but I was really tempted to speed this one up.  It has 3 parts and 99 chapters.  Of course the reader has to hear almost all of Pride and Prejudice from Mary's POV.  Let me tell you, it becomes apparent that this author is not a fan of Elizabeth Bennet.  After she recounts Lydia getting married, and then Charlotte Lucas' marriage to their cousin Mr. Collins, we hear that Jane and Elizabeth are wed along with Kitty.  So Mary is stuck at home with a mother who is disappointed in here, and a father that does not care.  It is truly a depressing read up to this point.  

Then Mary goes to live with the Gardner family at their house on Grace Church Street in London.  This is where the story finally gets interesting.  Now we have something new.  Mary blossoms into a steadfast and charming young lady who finds herself between two suitors, Tom Hayward and Will Ryder.  In comes Ms. Bingley who was unable to snag Mr. Darcy.  So now she has her eyes on Will.  However, Will becomes interested in Mary when he sees there is another suitor after her, Tom Hayward.  I guess it is one of those situation where Mary seems more eligible when someone else is after her.  Will is the impulsive one, very much like Mr. Willoughby (Sense and Sensibility).  Then there is the steadfast Tom Hayward much like Colonel Brandon (also like Sense and Sensibility)  However in this particular story, Tom is a high ranking business class citizen, and Will is a gentleman inheriting money from Lady Catherine De Bourgh of all people.  

Of course Mary make the right decision for her in the end, but not before there is a little drama as Will and his party (including Ms. Bingley) intrude on the Gardner family, Mary and Tom as they tour the famous "Lake Country."

I hear this book is being turned into a series to be streamed on BritBox.  It will probably make a good series.  There is definitely enough material in the book.  As an avid Austen fan, I am glad I read this story - any excuse to go back into that world.  However, I only recommend this one for other avid Austen fans.  The causal fan will probably DNF this one after the first 10 chapters.

Whether you decide to read this book or not . . . Keep Reading!

End of the Year Evaluation

Every year at this time, I receive an email from my appraiser about my yearly evaluation.  In my almost 23 year as a librarian, I have been appraised in many ways.  My appraisers have used the teacher appraisal, the paraprofessional appraisal, and then various appraisals that have been created just for librarians - which are the one I prefer.  In addition, I have also gone years without an appraisal at all, or I have appraised myself.  I've set goals, provided documentation, timelines, and paper evidence. I've seen & done it all!  However, I probably like my current appraisal best.  It is the one that is actually aligned with our library standards. 

My campus appraiser is very no-nonsense, and I really like that.  Her philosophy is that "proficient" is the norm.  If she scores me below "proficient," she will produce written documentation for me to see.  If I want to score above "proficient," then I have to provide the documentation for her to see.  That started during the 2021-22 school year.  At that point, I only had a few weeks to put all of my documentation together.  I had a lot, but it was all over the place - Google Drive, folders on my desktop, Canvas, and maybe some stuff in Canva too.  So in three weeks, I put together as much as I could remember, and organized it using one library standard per slide, which is how the appraisal is organized.  It looked like this . . . Appraisal Documentation for the 2021 - 2022 School Year

Over the years, I have started gathering my documentation earlier, and I've been able to get more information into my final product. Around year 2 of gathering this documentation, I created a Google Site instead of using Google Slides - just a personal preference.  I am still working on this year, but here is what I have so far . . . Appraisal Documentation for the 2025-2026 School Year.

Why go through all of this if I am okay with the proficient status?  After all, my performance is not tied to a bonus, or a promotion, or anything like that. To be honest, I like to see a few "distinguished" marks on my appraisal.  I don't need all "distinguished," because I truly believe that is not possible.  I always look at my data at the end of the year, and I can tell where I dropped the ball.  One year I concentrate on books circulated, and then I realize I have neglected my makerspace projects.  Another year, I concentrate on technology, and teaching classes, and my book circulations take a hit.  So in answer to the question I first proposed at the beginning of this paragraph, I gather all of this documentation so I can analyze my year and decide what goals I need to set for next year. I believe I am always learning.  Right now, I am seeking that balance to have a well-rounded library program. 

 

Tuesday's Tome: The Correspondent

 

I realize this book gets mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it.  If you prefer a plot driven story instead of a character driven story, this is not the book for you.  It has a leisurely pace, but I found it very interesting how the main character, Sybil Van Antwerp,  relates better to people writing letters rather than talking in person.  It is how she makes sense of the world around her, and her place in it. Of course, the reason why she prefers letters to people is slowly revealed which makes me love her even more. Sybil writes to friends, family members, and complete strangers.  Her collection of letters over the years include famous people too.  She writes to her best friend, and those letters always include what they are reading at the time.  As an avid reader, she also writes letters to famous authors, like Larry McMurtry, to let them know how she enjoyed their book.  She even writes to Stephen Spielberg to ask him to encourage her youngest pen pal with his budding movie career. Sybil also writes notes to her neighbor, a German man who lost his family to a concentration camp in World War II.

It isn't all happy times for Sybil.  She and her daughter have an estranged relationship since the death of a family member and the subsequent divorce that occurred because of that.  The daughter does not understand her mouther's preference of letters to people.  They often argue about that.  These family dynamics come to a boiling point when Sybil's ex-husband is dying.  Sybil doesn't want to go visit, and part of that is her facing what happened to their son.  This event is forcing Sybil to examine the most painful part of her life.  She realizes she cannot move on until she can forgive what happened and everyone involved.  

This story is a breath of fresh air with its slow pace and character development through correspondence.  This is one of my new favorites, and I have recommended it to many people.  

Fifth 6 Weeks Check In

 

And here we go again!  I feel like I just posted about our 4th six weeks, and here we are, already at the 5th six weeks. Before you know it, we will be out for the summer.  However, we do have to get through "testing season" first.  April will be the state mandated EOC tests; the first half of May will be AP testing, and then we have final exams.  The students' last day is Thursday, May 21st, and teachers are out on the 22nd. Our graduation is first up on Friday, during our teacher work day.  I feel bad for all of those senior teachers who give an exam on Thursday, and then have to grade them and finalize their grades before Friday morning.  Who thought that was a good idea?

However, back to the subject at hand . . . the library usage statistics.  As always, I am proud of how our library is used.  Lots of students coming in, checking out books, playing games, and using our computers and/or printer.  Our Beanstack reading minutes continue to rise.  Last 6 weeks, it was a little above 9,000 minutes, and this time around it was over 11,000.  I also like to see some of the older books hit the top 5.  Harry Potter was number 1 this time.  So fun!  I am sure that has something to do with the hype about the new series coming to . . . . is it Netflix, Paramount, maybe Disney +?  It's hard to keep up with those streaming services these days.

I think my favorite activity I started this year is to recognize my top 5 students who checked out the most books.  One of my goals this year is to bump up the number of books checked out per person.  I have been holding steady at a whopping 2 - two books per child for the whole year.  My goal this year is 4 books per kid.  This is one of the ways I am trying to create more book traffic, to announce the top 5 students every 6 weeks.   I'll let you know at the end of the year how that goal goes.  Wish me luck!

Using Britannica with Emergent Bilingual Students

 

I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but I have a library intern from TWU this semester. Her background is elementary, but so was mine until I made the leap to high school.  She was really nervous about coming to our library, but she has been here a few times a week since January.  She is definitely getting into the groove with our students.  It has been so much fun.  

Last week was her observation with a high school class.  I picked our Emergent Bilingual students because I have a good relationship with the teachers and the students.  And the classes are pretty small.  Of course the downside are the languages they speak.  The predominant language is Arabic with a few Spanish, Vietnamese, Pashto, Farsi, and Uzbeck speakers as well.  So we decided to do a preliminary research lesson using Britannica.  The library intern and I looked at Britannica and discussed the features we wanted to highlight based on the classes we were going to see.  The 3 main features we settled upon were the reading level, the translate feature, and the dictionary.  Then we decided that we would demonstrate what we wanted them to do using one topic, and then the students could pair up and pick one of 3 topics we gave them.  The intern created the research sheet, and we did some mock lessons the week before the kids came to the library.  On the day of her observation, I conducted the lesson with the first 2 classes, and then we set up her observation for the last class.  Her professor wasn't on campus; we had to set up a laptop where she could Zoom and see everyone.  That was different!

Lourdes (the intern) did a fantastic job.  The kids were super quiet, but they worked like crazy.  They participated, and did everything they were supposed to do. It was great.  I know it was such a relief when she finished since high school is really not in her comfort zone.  Her last day is in early April.  I think we will all miss having her around.  She will be a fantastic librarian.

EBSCO Learning Express

 

This is one of my favorite digital resources we have in our arsenal as high school librarians.  I like it because it opens the doors to unconventional classes that I might not see.  This resource is a test prep resource as well as a college and career prep.  It has almost every test we take in the state of Texas.  There are test preps for all of our EOC exams, the SAT, the PSAT, all of our AP exams, and the TSI test.  Not only does it have practice tests; it also has tutorials, videos, flashcards, and interactive worksheets to help students study.  On the college and career side, this resource has a college finder, a scholarship finder, a skills/interest survey to help one find a career, and a resume builder.  There are also eBooks of all kinds of careers in case you want to know more. This is an amazing resource, and I don't think enough of us promote or use it in the classrooms.

This semester I have worked with 16 AVID classes, 12 English classes, and did some one-on-one training with our AP teachers and Science, Math and ELAR specialists.  In the English classes, the juniors always do a College and Career research project.  So we go into EBSCO so they can take the skills matcher, use the College search, and the Scholarship search.  With the AVID classes, we are all over the place.  I usually show them the EOC materials, the TSI materials, and the AP test materials.  AVID can range from Freshman to Seniors in each class.  The Freshman take the most EOCs, and them some will take the TSI to qualify for dual credit classes the following year, and they could be in AP Human Geography.  With them, I have created a tic-tac-toe menu board.  The teachers like it because this activity can count as a grade, and I like it because it keeps me on track and not shooting off on some tangent the class might not need.  With all that EBSCO has to offer, it is easy to get lost.

(AVID classes with the tic-tac-toe activity)

Again, I cannot say enough good things about this resource.  So much so, that this is the topic of my upcoming presentations for next year.  Stay tuned!

Fourth 6 Weeks Check In

 Here we go again.  It's the end of the 4th Six Weeks, or at least it was on February 12th.  The year is just flying by.  Anyway, here are my library usage statistics for the 4th Six Weeks of school.

I think the most amazing statistic this time around was the number of students who came into the library.  Yes, you are seeing that correctly.  We had 11,736 students come to the library.  In a school of roughly 1800 students, that is astounding.  Now I know why I was tired this time around.  I love that we have repeat customers.  

TCEA 2026

 

TCEA 2026

January 31 - February 4

This year TCEA was in San Antonio.  That is a fun town.  I stayed at the historic Menger Hotel near the Alamo; so I was walking distance from everywhere I needed to go.  As usual, my schedule was jam packed with all of the things I wanted to see and do.  I did manage to squeeze in some time to see my bestie, Sara.  Can't leave SA without that visit!

I used the 31st & the 4th as travel days.  Pam and I presented on Sunday the 1st, and this was my schedule for the rest of the time . . . 

Sunday - Feb 1

• Genially  bit.ly/genially26
  

• Matt Miller  https://ditchthattextbook.com/tcea/
  

• FriED Technology - Adobe https://www.friedonline.com/course/tcea2026 
  

• Selfies & Shelvies https://www.canva.com/design/DAG_qhmBgxs/0aTTSQXURNufE4rtgfBlUw/edit 

Monday - Feb 2

• Reading Renaissance https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iml1oH9PHqbC-5xOJX0_0iSov4twFJjM0dD0wb5354w/mobilepresent?slide=id.g3bdec81d919_0_0
  
  

• FriED Technology - MagicSchool AI https://www.friedonline.com/course/tcea2026
  
  

• Genially Escape Rooms bit.ly/TEEescapegames
  
  

https://view.genially.com/684ca911eb83f900fec54561/interactive-content-tee-play-an-escape-game 

https://sites.google.com/view/techededu/tcea-2026

• Beyond the Bulletin Boards et al https://www.canva.com/design/DAG-avrD5A4/JDy5F2MRs08bTjkmk8xGkg/view?utm_content=DAG-avrD5A4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer 

Tuesday - Feb 3

• Leslie Fischer https://lesliefisher.com/calendar/tcea
  
  

• Book Creator March Madness (in Book Creator) https://app.bookcreator.com/library/-Ojx7dxi8oarOjMoWKdi
  
  

• Tech Tools Smack Down https://www.canva.com/design/DAG-avrD5A4/JDy5F2MRs08bTjkmk8xGkg/view?utm_content=DAG-avrD5A4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer
  
  

https://padlet.com/j2training/tcea26-smackdown-lcf2wslrezak 

https://app.smore.com/n/ja51t 

• FriED Tech - ELL Tools https://www.friedonline.com/course/tcea2026

This was and always is a great conference.  I made the decision not to go to TLA this year as it is only 3 days long and in Houston.  By the time I get there, I will have one full conference day before I turn around and come home.  In addition, Pam and I are not presenting this year.  So I am going to save my money and look towards next year.  At this conference, Pam, Amy and I talked about maybe teaming up to talk about EBSCO.  It's not a new resource, but I'm not sure everyone understands it's full potential.

Our presentation at TCEA was the same one we did for Region 10, Region 11, and the District 7 meeting.  So by the time we arrived in San Antonio, we were good to go. 

Here is our presentation: Small Steps, Big Impact: Cultivating Community Through Your Library Program, and according to Canva, we have had over 200 visitors click the link to our presentation.  So that is definitely a win!

Tuesday's Tome: Say You'll Remember Me

 

Tuesday's Tome is "Say You'll Remember Me" by Abby Jimenez.  I picked this one out on Libby because it was available and many have recommended this author.  And you can guess from the cover, it is a romance. However, it does include some heavy subjects.  The most triggering for me is the mother with dementia.  So if you are also going through a loved one with dementia, just be warned.

The two main characters, Samantha and Xavier, share a perfect first date on the eve of Samantha's big move to California.  Samantha has decided to move back home to help her family care for her mother who has dementia. While Samantha can work from anywhere as part of a social marketing firm for a mustard company, Xavier, a veterinarian who has opened his own practice, is rooted in place in Minnesota.

So the 2 try to navigate a long distance relationship.  In addition to the distance, Samantha and Xavier are also battling some heavy issues like memory loss of a loved one, family dynamics, loneliness and isolation, along with some childhood trauma.  I know this story seems like a total downer, but somehow Jimenez is able to write about such themes with grace and humor.  There are some definite laugh-out-loud moments.  I have a bunch of female students who request a "sad romance" book all the time.  I, however, prefer happy endings.  "Say You'll Remember Me" is, indeed, a happy book dealing with mature themes, and you will like the ending.

New Year - Last Year's Usage Statistics

 Hello everyone.  Just checking in with my library's latest usage statistics.  These are from the 3rd Six Weeks of school, November 3 - December 18, 2025.

This time around I am most impressed with the number of student visits.  I think that I have talked about this before, but it bears repeating.  Summit is one of the smaller high schools in our district, and our student enrollment is a bit over 1800 students.  So the fact that we clocked in 6,482 visitors during this 6 weeks is exciting.  This number obviously means we have a lot of repeat visitors.  These visitors are actual students coming into the library by themselves either during class, before/after school, or during lunch.  We do not count whole classes in this stat.  Class visits have a whole separate category.  So the number of student visitors let's us know we must be doing something right. 

I received this note from a student today.  She came in the library this morning just to deliver it to me.  It made my day, but also made me laugh since I come to work "almost" every day with a smile on my face.  Truer words have never been spoken.  I'm not sure anyone could come to school every day with a smile on their face, but I do most days because I really love what I do.  So I guess I must be doing something right.

Keep Reading!

Most Popular Books this Semester

 

We have checked out a lot of books this semester.  To be precise, we have checked out 3288 books this semester.  Last year at this time, we had checked out 2652 books.  So I am pretty proud we have increased the amount of books from one year to the next.

In looking at the actual books that have been checked out this year, the graphic novel section is overwhelming the most popular area of the library.  Here is the countdown of the 10 most popular books this semester which started on August 13 and ended today.

10 - Slam Dunk

9 - Shatter Me

8 - Death Note

7 - Big Shot (series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

6 - Assassination Classroom 

5 - Allegedly: a novel 

4 - One of Us is Lying  

3 - Naruto 

2 - Bleach 

1 - Demon Slayer

7 of the 10 listed here are graphic novels. 1 is Science Fiction, and 2 are Mysteries.  It always amazes me when I see Bleach and Naruto among the most popular.  Authors are cranking out manga like crazy; yet these 2 old school series are outlasting some of the newer books.  Then there is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid right there in the mix.  Yes, I teach at a high school, but the nostalgia runs deep. Everyone loves this series.  I even have a few volumes in Spanish and Arabic for our English Language Learners.

To learn more about our top 10 books, click on the links which will take you to a great resource called TeachingBooks.  There you will find a summary of the book, something about the author, book guides, activities & lessons, and sometimes even a book trailer or an audio exerpt.

Whether you are a fan of manga and graphic novels or not, the statistics don't lie.  Our high school students can't get enough of this genre.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday's Tome: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

 

I will admit that I originally started this series due to the popularity of the NetFlix series based on these books.  The students in my library were requesting the books, and they were always checked out.  So I decided to give this trilogy a try. 

I really enjoyed the first book.  Two mothers take their children to the beach every summer.  The children have been going since they were little.  This year Belly (the main female character) is 15, turning 16.  And all of a sudden boys start to notice.  Every year, she was the tag-a-long baby sister, and a nuisance for sure.  To be honest, she is still a nuisance to her brother. However, the other 2 boys, Conrad and Jeremiah, seem to see Belly in a new light.  Jeremiah has always been Belly's best friend, and she has always had a crush on Conrad.  So needless to say the question becomes "are you team Conrad or team Jeremiah?"

Again, the first book was fun and a quick read.  The second and third books seemed really long, and to be honest, I sort of lost interest in which boy Belly was going to choose. It was just a bit too much team Conrad vs team Jeremiah for me.  However, I am not the audience for which this story was intended.  My 9th and 10th grade girls just love these books - all three of them.  I feel that The Summer I Turned Pretty is a solid stand alone book.  For those of you who are watching the NetFlix series, you might want to read all 3.  

I started the NetFlix series and had to turn it off.  I was so annoyed with book 2 and 3 that I let it interfere with my enjoyment.  I was ready for a "NetFlix and Chill" kind of evening, but what I got was "NetFlix and Frustration." I am sure it is a good series, but I'll have to try watching it later.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday's Tome: Eruption

 

I realize that Michael Crichton died before this book was even published, but he did all of the research and had written extensively on the subject before James Patterson came along.  I really like both authors; so I chose to listen to this one with my Libby account through the Dallas Public Library.

This is a fun read and exactly what you'd expect of a Michael Crichton disaster thriller where science meets chaos.  James Patterson expertly uses Crichton manuscript to speed up the pace which reflects the intensity of the volcano's story. This tale follows a team of scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory who realize that the volcanic activity around them isn’t just heating up . . . it’s about to explode in a catastrophic chain of events. And of course, the government knows a whole lot more than it’s saying.

The book jumps right into the tension: earthquakes, unusual readings, government cover-ups, and a looming eruption big enough to cause global consequences. The science feels classic Crichton: detailed, believable, and woven into the plot in a way that keeps you learning without slowing things down. Patterson’s influence shows up in the pacing: short chapters, fast action, and constant cliffhangers.

The characters are solid, but not deep.  There is the "cowboy" vulcanologist and his team stationed in Hawaii.  You also have the General and the army stationed nearby who basically draft the Hawaiian team to help.  Then there is the billionaire and his team who are there "to help," but really they are there to chase the big eruption.  All of the characters argue struggle, jockeying for position, but in the end it becomes man vs nature, and nature is about to win.

The story is fast paced, but the ending seems a bit long.  Overall, it is a fun thriller that will keep you coming back for more.  A perfect read if you want something dramatic, fast-paced and binge-worthy.

Second 6 Weeks Check In

So I am pretty excited about my library statistics.  We had over 1,500 books circulated and over 6,000 student visits.  Last I checked, we only had 1875 students enrolled.  That means we have repeat visits.  Love that!  In addition to the student visits, we also had 146 class visits to the library or one of the labs.  It was a very busy 6 weeks.

I guess my elevator speech might look a bit different now.  I would still talk about how many students have visited the library.  I might also talk about how the top 5 books checked out are manga/graphic novels.  We have a lot of students checking out from that section of the library.

In my effort to raise the number of books checked out per student, I am also announcing the top 5 students who have checked out the most books every 6 weeks.  I am putting their names and how many books they checked out in the morning announcements, and then giving them a small prize when they come to the library to say they heard their name on the announcements. I'm not sure if that is working or if it is something else, but we have checked out more books at this point in time compared to last year.  Last year we checked out 1842 books in the first 12 weeks of school.  During the first 12 weeks of school this year, we have checked out 2596 books. Let's hope we can keep up the momentum.  Go Jags!

Tuesday's Tome: Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

 

I picked this one from my Libby account through the Dallas Public Library.  I often need books for my commute to and from Arlington.  This one fit the bill.  It's a clean, young adult romance.  When it's 90 degrees in October, it is fun to escape to a town that has an a actual Fall season.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice is a young adult novel by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc about 16-year-old Lucy, who loves the autumnal season.  She helps at her mom's coffee shop, "Cup of Joe's," and she enjoys the work. Just as the Fall season is taking off, the big chain "Java Junction" moves in across the street.  Lucy and her mom are concerned about the competition especially since they do not serve the ever popular PSL - Pumpkin Spice Latte.  This just happens to be Java Junction's speciality.  To make matters a bit more complicated, Lucy discovers the cute new boy at school just happens to be the son of the owners of Java Junction.  His name is Jack, and Lucy's competitive nature gets all tangled up with her attraction to Jack.  Throw in a PSL contest during the annual Fall Festival where a famous Influencer comes to town and pits Cup of Joe's against Java Junction, and chaos reigns supreme.  This definitely reminds me of a teen Hallmark movie.  If you are into wholesome books with a splash of romance, this is an excellent pick.  Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Everyone is Welcome

 

I always thought my library was welcoming until I invited our EB (Emergent Bilingual) classes to visit the library for a library orientation.  I let the teacher know ahead of time about the scavenger hunt, and she asked for a copy so she could have it translated into all the different languages her students speak.  That got me to thinking that I probably need to translate my presentation too.  After asking what languages were spoken in her classroom, it came down to 6: Spanish, Vietnamese, Persian, Arabic, Uzbek, and Pashto.  I had to simplify each slide down to one sentence because then I had to repeat that sentence 6 other times.  It really made me think what I really wanted them to learn about the library, and then I used AI to help me translate.  I used Chat GPT, but I know everyone has their favorites.  After that, I gave the first slide to the teacher to have the students read the sentence in their own language to make sure it made sense.  I love AI as much as the next person, but I had no idea if those translations were correct.  Turns out they were. Yay!

Here is my EB presentation.

Then I decided we needed signage in the library to help these students out.  So one of my goals this year is to translate the major areas of the library into these 6 languages.  These major areas include the Technology Office, our conference room, the circulation desk, school supplies, fiction section, nonfiction section, computer lab C 6 and C 9, computers, book drop, & Go Center. As I do with all of my goals, I like to set a timeline.  This one is no different.

Goal: to have library signage that is clear and readable in multiple languages (Voluntary Standards 5.5.2)

Timeline:

• September - have signs for Circulation Desk, School Supplies and Book Drop in time for EB classes
• October - signs for fiction, nonfiction, and genres
• November/December - all other signage 

Resources I have:

• Canva Pro to create signage
• Access to AI
• Students/Teachers to check AI for accuracy
• Poster Printer to print signage

I have links to all of the signage that has been completed so far.  There is still some time left in October, and all I need are the main Fiction and Nonfiction signs. So I call that a win-win.

Wish me luck, and see you soon!

First 6 Weeks Check In

 It was a busy time in the library for the 1st six weeks of school.  The numbers don't lie!  We had over a thousand books circulated, which is great for our little high school.  Plus we saw over 200 classes.  We saw TCC classes, the sophomore English students, the junior English students, and the ELL class which inspired me to redo my signage in the library to include the 7 major languages spoken on our campus, but that is a topic for a future post. 

At a previous High School Librarian meeting, Pam asked us to write and rehearse our "elevator speech."  You know that speech you have set for an outsider when they ask the simple question, "How is it going in the library?"  Instead of saying, "everything is fine," you have something more intelligent to say.  My elevator speech usually highlights one or more of the six weeks usage statistics.

Like right now, this is my elevator speech . . . 

"I am so glad you asked about our library.  Did you know we saw 3,200 visitors during the last 6 weeks.  Yes, that is more than our total number of students enrolled in our school.  We just love that our students are repeat visitors.  There is so much to see and do in our library.  Come by anytime.  I'd love to show you around."

My second elevator speech (in case I talk to the same people, or I just want some variety) is . . .

"I am so glad you asked about our library.  Did you know that half of our student population checked out a book during the last 6 weeks. We circulated 1,031 books.  It looks like Mysteries and Graphic Novels have been the most popular books to be checked out so far this year.  I just love to see our students reading. Come by anytime.  I'd love to show you around."

So if you haven't been convinced about keeping your library usage statistics, they really do come in handy for multiple reasons.  The elevator speech is just one idea.  I also like to blast our stats on social media and email them to our staff.  It's important to get your story out there, and statistics is one what to do  just that. Because if you don't tell your story, someone else will.