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During the last week of September, libraries all over the country recognize Banned Books Week. This week spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books. Each year hundreds of books are banned or challenged. In the 2021-2022 school year, more than 2,500 books were banned in 140 school districts across 32 different states (PEN America, 2022).
Some parents and organizations think book banning is necessary to protect students from inappropriate content, while other parents and organizations believe that banning books silences important, diverse voices that students need to access. Unlock examples of banned and challenged books, and celebrate your right to ____. (THINK YOU KNOW THE CODE?!? Sometimes people get things backwards...). Once you've got the box unlocked, check out the Banned Books Display and add your thoughts to the "Hot Takes" bulletin board.
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Borrow Print Books: 3 Simple Steps
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Questions? Contact Mrs. Cesari
What is Battle of the Books?
Battle of the Books is a reading program designed to encourage reading a variety of literature. Students read a group of 8 books (books may be divided up within the team - every person does NOT have to read every book) and compete in teams of no more than four to answer questions about those books in a quiz show format. All questions begin with the words “In which book…” and the students earn points for correct answers. Books must be read by March 15th. A battle between Durgee teams will be held at the end of March, and the winning Durgee team will move on to a regional competition, facing off against other teams in Onondaga County on April 17th.
How does a “battle” work?
The moderator asks the question and the teams are given 30 seconds to confer and write their answers on the answer sheet. Teams receive 5 points for giving the correct title and an additional 3 points if they also name the author, for a possible total of 8 points per question. The battle consists of 16 questions and all teams answer the same questions.
What is the role of the (optional) coach?
Build team spirit and enthusiasm. Suggestions: choose a team name; create a poster to display during the battle; choose a team color and wear matching shirts. Meet with the team on a regular basis starting in mid-December/early January to make sure the books are being read and use the practice questions to quiz the kids on the books. Encourage the students to do their best and be good sports. Winning is wonderful, but only one team will win and all participants have worked hard. They all deserve our respect and praise.
Interested?
See Mrs. Cesari in the library for more information.
Battle of the Books is a reading program designed to encourage reading a variety of literature. Students read a group of 8 books (books may be divided up within the team - every person does NOT have to read every book) and compete in teams of no more than four to answer questions about those books in a quiz show format. All questions begin with the words “In which book…” and the students earn points for correct answers. Books must be read by March 15th. A battle between Durgee teams will be held at the end of March, and the winning Durgee team will move on to a regional competition, facing off against other teams in Onondaga County on April 17th.
How does a “battle” work?
The moderator asks the question and the teams are given 30 seconds to confer and write their answers on the answer sheet. Teams receive 5 points for giving the correct title and an additional 3 points if they also name the author, for a possible total of 8 points per question. The battle consists of 16 questions and all teams answer the same questions.
What is the role of the (optional) coach?
Build team spirit and enthusiasm. Suggestions: choose a team name; create a poster to display during the battle; choose a team color and wear matching shirts. Meet with the team on a regular basis starting in mid-December/early January to make sure the books are being read and use the practice questions to quiz the kids on the books. Encourage the students to do their best and be good sports. Winning is wonderful, but only one team will win and all participants have worked hard. They all deserve our respect and praise.
Interested?
See Mrs. Cesari in the library for more information.
| 8th Grade Battle of the Books Titles
| 9th Grade Battle of the Books Titles
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8th Grade Battle of the Books
9th Grade Battle of the Books
There are no formal assignments associated with summer reading, so it's the perfect time to choose a book that just looks GOOD! If you're looking for suggestions, some ideas are also posted on the lists below.
Additionally, all Durgee students have access to THOUSANDS of FREE eBooks and Audiobooks via the SORA app. Directions for using SORA are available by click here.
Additionally, next year Durgee students will have the opportunity to participate in Battle of the Books. Battle of the Books (BOTB) is a regional competition in which students work in teams to read and study a set of 8 novels over the course of the school year. They will then participate in “Jeopardy-style” tournaments to demonstrate their knowledge of the books, first at the building level, followed by finalists moving on to the district and regional levels. If your students are interested in participating, they can get started by reading any of the books on the attached list of summer reading suggestions. Printer friendly versions are available here: 8th Grade List and the 9th Grade List.
Additionally, all Durgee students have access to THOUSANDS of FREE eBooks and Audiobooks via the SORA app. Directions for using SORA are available by click here.
Additionally, next year Durgee students will have the opportunity to participate in Battle of the Books. Battle of the Books (BOTB) is a regional competition in which students work in teams to read and study a set of 8 novels over the course of the school year. They will then participate in “Jeopardy-style” tournaments to demonstrate their knowledge of the books, first at the building level, followed by finalists moving on to the district and regional levels. If your students are interested in participating, they can get started by reading any of the books on the attached list of summer reading suggestions. Printer friendly versions are available here: 8th Grade List and the 9th Grade List.
Many fantastic books were recognized on Monday during ALA's Youth Media Awards - -it's kind of like the Oscars for books. I haven't read them all, but I did love A Heart in a Body in a World. If you're a book lover, you'll appreciate this quote from the novel: "She has missed books, but she's been afraid of them, same as music. Books make you feel things hard. They hit the tender spots...Books were dangerous."
Stop down and check out the Award Winners display in the library if you're looking for a good read.
Stop down and check out the Award Winners display in the library if you're looking for a good read.
"You can’t please everyone. Every book will have its fans and its foes. But restricting reading for another person or group of people? That goes too far." -- Melissa Taylor, Teacher & Author
During the last week of September, libraries all over the country celebrate Banned Books Week. Each year hundreds of books are banned or challenged. People often challenge books because they dislike or disagree with the content of the book. When a book is banned, a library is forced to remove it from the shelf, which means NO ONE is allowed to read the book.
Libraries believe that ONE group or person should NOT decide what EVERYONE else is allowed to read. During Banned Books Week, libraries recognize your right to CHOOSE the best books for YOU.
Unlock examples of banned and challenged books, and celebrate your right to ______. (THINK YOU KNOW THE CODE?!? Sometimes people get things backwards...).
During the last week of September, libraries all over the country celebrate Banned Books Week. Each year hundreds of books are banned or challenged. People often challenge books because they dislike or disagree with the content of the book. When a book is banned, a library is forced to remove it from the shelf, which means NO ONE is allowed to read the book.
Libraries believe that ONE group or person should NOT decide what EVERYONE else is allowed to read. During Banned Books Week, libraries recognize your right to CHOOSE the best books for YOU.
Unlock examples of banned and challenged books, and celebrate your right to ______. (THINK YOU KNOW THE CODE?!? Sometimes people get things backwards...).
Free eBooks and audiobooks on your phone and tablet!
 | Using OverDrive on your phone or tablet? Try the BRAND NEW Sora app! It's super simple set-up will have you reading in no time. Sora Directions: 1) Download the Sora app in your device's app store 2) Open the app and select "OCM BOCES/Theodore R Durgee" as your school 3) Now choose "Baldwinsville" from the drop down menu 4) Enter your school computer ID (ex: 21LCesari123 -- this your ID without the @ bville.org ending) and the password: books |
If you'd like to use OverDrive without the Sora app, follow these directions:
To access OverDrive, follow these steps in your device's browser (phone, computer, tablet, etc):
1) Type in this URL: http://ocmboces.lib.overdrive.com
2) Select "Baldwinsville" from the drop down menu
3) Enter your school computer ID (ex: 21LCesari123 -- this your ID without the @ bville.org ending) and the password: books
You also have the option to download the OverDrive app onto your device. Here's the link to download the iOS version and the Android version.
Want more help? Watch the video below.
 | The Youth Media Awards were recently announced - it's kinda like the Oscars for books. I always look forward to finding out who won the Printz Award, which honors the best books for teens. This year, We Are Okay by Nina LaCour won the top prize. If you want to check out this winning title, or any of the others that received recognition, stop by the library and grab one off the display. |
Trailers Looking for a great read over winter break? You can read these title without even getting off your couch (they're currently available in OverDrive).
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
This is one of those books that I'm frantically pressing into everyone's hands -- it's a "must read." It's topped many "Best of 2017" books lists, and received lots of critical praise. The publisher says, "Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life."
This is one of those books that I'm frantically pressing into everyone's hands -- it's a "must read." It's topped many "Best of 2017" books lists, and received lots of critical praise. The publisher says, "Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life."
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
This is another great book with a lot of buzz. Like The Hate U Give, it also examines violence in an urban, mostly African American community. The publisher says "...it's a stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds--the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he's going to murder the guy who killed his brother... Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That's where Will's now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother's gun."
This is another great book with a lot of buzz. Like The Hate U Give, it also examines violence in an urban, mostly African American community. The publisher says "...it's a stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds--the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he's going to murder the guy who killed his brother... Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That's where Will's now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother's gun."
Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali
I read this book a month ago, and I loved it. I haven't read many YA novels with Muslim main characters, so I really appreciated the "window" opportunity this book provided. The publisher says, "There are three kinds of people in my world:
1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They're in your face so much, you can't see them, like how you can't see your nose. 2. Misfits, people who don't belong. Like me--the way I don't fit into Dad's brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama's-Boy-Muhammad. Also, there's Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don't go together. Same planet, different worlds. But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right? 3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O'Connor's stories. Like the monster at my mosque. People think he's holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask. Except me."
I read this book a month ago, and I loved it. I haven't read many YA novels with Muslim main characters, so I really appreciated the "window" opportunity this book provided. The publisher says, "There are three kinds of people in my world:
1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They're in your face so much, you can't see them, like how you can't see your nose. 2. Misfits, people who don't belong. Like me--the way I don't fit into Dad's brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama's-Boy-Muhammad. Also, there's Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don't go together. Same planet, different worlds. But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right? 3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O'Connor's stories. Like the monster at my mosque. People think he's holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask. Except me."
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