Video from the 2014 Salute Awards

New Recommendations from the EMHS Library

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is the story of the author's life told through poems. It is beautifully written and begins with a picture of her family tree so that the reader can see all of the characters from her family that she writes about throughout. It is told in chronological order and is easy to follow, thought provoking and rich in details that allow you to feel as though you can see exactly what she is describing. Some moments are difficult to read about as she tackles the the truth about slavery but it is an important book and well deserving of the Newbery Honor, the National Book Award and the Coretta Scott King Award. I highly recommend this book, come and check it out!

Ready Player One is a book that I started a while ago but had to put down due to work obligations and then I forgot all about it. Boy am I glad that I picked it back up! It is a really entertaining tale of a boy who is on a mission to win a great deal of money in a game that pays homage to all the great pop culture of the 80's. This books is intriguing and once I really got invested in the story, had a hard time putting down. If you're into gaming or 80's references like you see in the TV show The Goldbergs, this is the book for you!

Until next time, happy reading!

~Ms. Thibodeaux

Book Club - Thursdays during Power Hour in the Library!

Join us for Book Club in the library, every Thursday during the first half of power hour! We are going to the Texas Teen Book Fest next weekend, come and get the details!!

Going Bovine - Libba Bray

Our guest blogger has another suggestion for you! Libby Bray’s Going Bovine showcases the life of Cameron Smith, the sixteen-year-old protagonist, who was recently diagnosed with mad cow’s disease.  This diagnosis is somewhat symbolic of the wake-up call necessary to truly engage with and appreciate small beauties of life.  Cameron embarks on a cross-country journey with a hypochondriac, sheltered, yet brutally honest dwarf named Gonzo as well as a talking, loyal gnome named Balder.  Their efforts to cure his disease while also saving the world present multiple opportunities for an action packed adventure that will have you anxiously waiting to find out what could possibly happen next to this trio of explorers.

-Lisa Atkins (UT intern at EMHS)

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

We have a guest blogger for a review of Rainbow Rowell's book Eleanor and Park, UT Austin ischool student, Lisa Atkins, has this to say about it! This Rainbow Rowell novel showcases the relationship between Eleanor, a 15 year old new girl at school and Park who is half Korean and has always felt out of place. You will want to read more as you see developments in their interactions with each other as they ride the bus home next to each other enjoying 80s music and comic books. Both characters will be tested with their relationship with each other as well as those around them. Will their relationship stand the stresses of everyday and not so everyday teenage life? Come to the library to find out for yourself!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

The Benjamin Alire Sáenz novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is extremely engaging right from the beginning. It hooks you and doesn't let go until you find everything out about these two boys coming of age in the 80's that the author wants you to know about them. Aristotle, "Ari", and Dante live in El Paso, Texas which serves as the backdrop for the two Latino teenagers who spend time in the desert relishing the rain when it comes. Ari is having a little more trouble finding out about himself than Dante in this tale that takes you on a journey through their story that includes, fighting, poetry, separation, family and love. Come as soon as you can and check it out!

Texas Teen Book Fest 2015!

Wow, I really can't believe it's been so long since this resource has been updated. My sincerest apologies, let's get back to it! I want to invite anyone who wants to attend the Texas Teen Book Festival to attend with us. The EMHS Book Club will be attending the event as a field trip and transportation will be provided. Here are the details:

Saturday, September 26th @ St. Edward's University We will leave Eastside at 9:30am and return at approximately 3:30pm Sign up with me, Ms. Thibodeaux in the library if you want to join us! Here are the authors and the books they will talk about, plus there will be book signing! https://www.flickr.com//photos/atbf2009/show/

Austin Teen Book Festival 2012

Save the date! Saturday, September 29th Here's the video from the website, check it out!

Readings and Recommendations

Last month NPR ran a story about Charles Dickens on what would have been his 200th birthday, which got me thinking about how I hadn't read any of his books. So, I decided to take on Great Exectations, and found that I enjoyed it. I'll be honest, there were parts that I found long and wordy, but there were also parts that were very engaging and I liked where Dickens was going with the story, I thought that it was an important lesson that Pip learns. In my opinion, it was to value the people who have been there for you more than what you can gain out of others. Mostly, I was glad that I'd finally given Charles Dickens a read and am not altogether opposed to reading some of his other books, I just wish I had more time to do it!

I am currently reading Rachel Maddow's Drift and about to begin Diane Ravitch's The Death and Life of the Great American School System, How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. I will post as soon as I finish Drift with an update, but, I sincerely recommend this book based on what I have read so far. It is riveting information that was carefully researched and thoughtfully written, it covers how and why we go to war in our country and traces those reasons to specific times in our history. Fascinating.

New recommendations

I recently read The Help by Kathryn Stockett and really enjoyed it. I liked the way that she wrote it from multiple perspectives. Skeeter Phelan is one of the main characters who is also a narrator, she is trying to begin her career as a writer and decides to write a book that discusses what it is like to be a black maid for white families at the cusp of the civil rights movement. Aibileen is one of the maids who is also a narrator, she is the first maid brave enough to help Skeeter with her book project and is an integral part of getting other maids to join her and Skeeter with their stories. Minny is the other narrator, she is a more vocal person than Aibileen and has had to move from job to job because of it. I think The Help is an important book because it explores issues that our society has made a great deal of progress in, but it is a reminder that we can not just assume that race relations and prejudices are non-issues now. I think the message is to keep it in our minds so that we don't repeat our past mistakes. Well written, very relevant, and a must-read in my opinion.

In The Help, Stockett references To Kill a Mockingbird several times and surprisingly enough, I had never been required to read the Harper Lee classic. So, I decide that I would read it simultaneously. After finishing the book I really couldn't believe that I had never read it before. The writing is impecable, truly deserving of the awards it received. Harper Lee spins a tale of the atrocities that humans are capable of doing to each other and brilliantly tells it from a child's perspective. I think this is the most important part of the book, that it is written from the point of view if a person who is not yet spoiled and jaded but sees people for who they are, based on their actions, not her prejudices. To Kill a Mockingbird instantly became one of my all time favorites and I'm glad that it was referenced in The Help because it encouraged me to finally take the time to read it.