Summer time

Well my dear friends!

It is that time of year again where students and teachers alike rejoice in the anticipated freedom of summer. But there is always a time where things get crazy trying to get everything done and so this will be the last post until the fall begins.

It has been a great experience. Hopefully, somewhere during the summer, you can grab a book and enjoy a quiet time with your student or parent. Reading is a great way to draw families together and create lasting memories. As the last post for the year, I thought I would share one of my favorite poems. Enjoy! And have a great summer.

THE READING MOTHER

Strickland Gillilan

I HAD A MOTHER who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Celert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such.

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a Mother who read to me.

Have a great summer all.

CCB

New books

Hello! It has been a scene of activity and organized chaos here at the Paradigm Library as we have worked to catalog and shelf a large donation that we have received from one of the schools here in the valley. Our research collection is growing so we have a beginning collection to offer our students.

We have also just cataloged 2 new classroom sets; "Shane" and "The Light in the Forest". Both of these classic tales have been read and loved by children of past generations and we are excited to be able to share them and their lessons with the rising generation.

"Shane" is the story of a professional gun-fighter that has gone straight and the influence that he has on the life of a young man. Moreover, the young man has a profound influence on the gunfighter and both lives are enriched by the relationship.

"The Light in the Forest" is the story of a young boy captured by Indians and raised in their culture. Then, because of a treaty 11 years later, the young man is returned to his native culture. The story deals with those adjustments and how this child, caught between two worlds, deals with events that are out of his control.

We would encourage you to read these two newest additions with your student. They are both great family stories and make a great way to involve the whole family.

Happy reading!

CCB

Easter Reading

For those among our reading audience that celebrate the Easter Season, there is a great book entitled "The Robe" written by Lloyd C. Douglas in the early 2oth century. The story is of the centurion that gambles for the cloak of Christ and wins. It is the story of his life and search for meaning and the implications of Christianity. I have read it several times and find it a meaningful experience. It is well written and a touching story. It reveals the political landscape at the time of Christ along with the culture and customs. It is an entertaining way of learning. Mr. Douglas did his research well and it is very authentic.

You can find a great review at the following link: The Robe It is a great way to learn and to celebrate this special time of year.

Happy reading!

CCB

Louis L'Amour

One of the authors of our textbooks is Louis L'Amour. The students study from "The Lonesome Gods", "Sackett's Land", and "Bendigo Shafter". Mr. L'Amour is best known for his western stories. However, he has also studied about and written about other time periods. One such title "The Walking Drum" was on the #1 bestselling list. "The Walking Drum" is written during the period of about 1000AD. It is the story of a young man that is on a search for his father. He travels the known world and talks about his adventures and what he learns. It is really interesting because he "slips in" life lessons when you're not looking. There is a great link that has information about Mr. L'Amour and his life. You can find it at Louis L'Amour. CCB

Forest Born

Tiffany Carerrio, one of our students, just read "Forest Born" by Shannon Hale. I asked her to write a little bit about the story. This is what she said: "I read Forest Born by Shannon Hale and I like how it enchanted me with the girl named Rinna. Forest Born though she is, she feels like the trees have abandoned her. In this story she journeys with Razo and his love Dasha so she can find out what's wrong with her. When she meets Sis, Enna and Tusken, she finds an adventure that will change her for the rest of her life. But she also finds lying within her waiting to come again into the world and make itself known. A deep dark secret that involves her ability to speak and then get what she wants. In her quest to overcome her fear of speaking, she learned what we all have to learn: we all have a fear of doing something we want to do but if we don't let go sometimes, and sometimes hold back, our gift will leave and find another because we don't use it. If we don't control it and use it for good, then it will consume us and hurt us and others around us. When I think about the book, I can feel its words flow through me and change me again and again. What will you find in yourself if you read this book? What will inspire you to do good?" Thanks Tiffany! Enjoy. CCB

Internet Sites

Parents---one of the greatest challenges of the internet is teaching your children that just because it is written doesn't make it real or true. One of the most popular sites that school kids use in research is Wikipedia. This site has the potential of being changed by anyone that has an account. There isn't a lot of control over who changes what or how accurate the information is. Because it has such potential, it also has the potential to be a very unreliable source--especially for academic research. For that purpose, I have added 3 links to the blog to the left side that will take you to well-documented sources. PLEASE teach your kids to be picky in their trust of resources and to have them prove their information. Thanks to Mr Simmons here at school, I have found another awesome resource for full text articles.The Gutenberg Projectcan be found at the following link: The Gutenberg Project Mr. Simmons also taught me about the Internet History Source Book which also has complete articles. I enjoyed one written by Pasteur on the necessity of cleanliness in the surgical theater. It was neat to be able to go to the original source and to get a feeling for the individual. If you need original history documents, you can go to the following link: The Internet History Source Book Part of the vision here at Paradigm is to help parents help their children in their understanding of truth. In order to understand it, they must be able to get it from unpolluted sources. These links are an effort in helping you as we work together to give our children truth. Enjoy! CCB

Finishing Becca

Ok--so I finished reading "Finishing Becca" this week-end. I had looked forward to this for several days so it was nice to have a little while to complete it. I was really disappointed in the last half of the book. The first part of the book was spent in developing the chief antagonist--Peggy Shippen. The character development was well done. The relationship between Miss Shippen and Andre was fully developed but when it switched to Benedict Arnold, much was left out and/or left to the imagination. The saving grace was that through an extensive author's note, we learned that Peggy is credited with the actual turning of Benedict Arnold. How she went about that is given very little attention in the story. There were a lot of "how" questions that were unanswered as I came to the end of the story. The writing style and the "voice" of the story was enjoyable and it was easy to read but I probably wouldn't read it again. CCB

Classic Books

One of the hallmarks of Paradigm Library is that we are trying to direct the students to a deeper level of learning and studying. We do that through the use of "classical books". But what is the definition of classical? For me, there are 2 elements of classical. One is that it has stood the test of time--that it is relevant today as well as when it was written. The second is the question--would I read it again and again? For each of us, there are different definition of classic but those two elements have worked well for me. CCB

Hard to find books

Hello! I just have to tell you---I have found the most fabulous site for books! I have been looking for some older, out of print books and found what I was looking for at abebooks.com. I have been looking for titles by Irving Stone to add to the library and I found him! This particular author is one of my favorite. It was like finding a long lost friend. If you are looking for some harder to find titles, check out Abe Books. Moreover, the prices can't be beat! Have a great day! CCB

Ann Rinaldi

One of the books that we were able to obtain through the book fair is entitled "Finishing Becca". It is written by Ann Rinaldi. Ms. Rinaldi is well-known for her historical fiction--for being able to portray the era in an entertaining way. "Finishing Becca" is my first experience with Ms. Rinaldi but I find her novel to be engaging and promising. I am excited to be able to finish this appealing story. If you would like to know more about this talented author, the following link will take you to a biographical page. Ann Rinaldi

Pioneer Library

Parents, did you know that the state of Utah has created a site for your student that will open up a virtual library to you and your student. All you need to have to access this incredible site is a public library card. The site link is:Pioneer Library This site has every major news magazine, most major newspapers, including the Deseret News,and The Salt Lake Tribune. It has links that will open new cultures to your student. Perhaps most impressive is that everything is vetted--it can't be changed. And there are complete articles--not just teasers and headlines. If you want a reliable site, check this one out! CCB

Book fair

Thank you parents and students of Paradigm High School! Due to the hard work of our library staff, amazing parents and super students, our library has earned $1600.00 in books from our book fair last week! We are so excited! We also recognize that those results are because of your help and support. We are so very grateful for all the time that parents spent in monitoring the fair; in helping set up and take down; in making assignments; in serving breakfast; just everything. We have chosen not to list every parent individually because we would certainly leave someone out but please be assured that your help and support are invaluable! Now that we have our new books, we are busy covering the paperbacks with contact paper to help them last longer. If you would be interested in helping in that project, please feel free to call the school and ask for the library. The books would be taken home. You would have 2 weeks to get them covered and returned to school. It would also help you fulfill your volunteer hours. Considering that a large part of our library consists of paperback books, this will be a long term project and so we look forward to the help of our wonderful parents. Once again--thanks for all your amazing support! It is a privilege to associate with your students at Paradigm High School. CCB

Library Resources

If you are looking for help with good things to read, the public library is a great resource. Salt Lake County library address is: Salt Lake County. They have changed their site so that you can search without having to log in. If you want to do anything other than search, then you have to log in. There is also a library online available to every student in Utah. It is the Pioneer Library. You can follow this link to access it from home: Pioneer Library This library contains articles that can be read online as well as resources directing you to other locations. It is a great resource for your student to do research for school papers because it is vetted. The sources are verified; unlike Wikipedia, they are not subject to change. Last, but certainly not least, is the official American Library Association link. The following link will take you directly to the Young Adult section of the American Library Association. This is truly a rich resource for reading recommendations. Young Adult Book List CCB

Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan has a blog that you might find interesting. Check it out at the following link: Rick Riordan Parents, if you like a good mystery, Mr. Riordan has written a series directed to the adults that has won the top three awards for the mystery genre. Grab a book and join your students in the world of reading! You can find Mr. Riordan's adult books on his web site, along with a short synopsis of the story plot. There is also a blog written by a young woman that interviewed Mr. Riordan. He tells how his Percy Jackson series came into being. While it is a short interview, it gives a peek into the personality and life of Mr. Riordan. You can read that interview at Rick Riordan interview CCB

Book Fair

Hey ya'll! Help our library grow! Paradigm High School is having a book fair and you're invited to breakfast and browse the offerings for our school. The dates are February 24th and 25th. Breakfast will be served February 24th from 7:15 to 8:00AM. For every $1.00 that you spend at the fair, we will receive $.65 so that we can purchase additional books for our library. Please bring your parent/student and support this effort to grow our library. CCB

The Lightning Thief

One of the most popular books in the library right now is a series

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

written by Rick Riordan. Book one, The Lightning Thief begins the adventures of Percy Jackson. I was curious about what was attractive to high school students when this story is about a 12 year-old. I wondered what they could have in common. From the moment I opened the book, I was captivated by this unique story. It blends the legends of the ancient Greek gods with the adventures of 21st century teen-agers. I was completely fascinated by the plot, by the characters and even started to understand some of the Greeks gods that had escaped my understanding while in school. Because it is about relationships and over-coming challenges, I came to understand that those themes are appealing to most age groups and it was treated in an age appropriate way. It was a lot of fun to read. Additional reviews can be found at the following link. The Lightning Thief CCB

Library Lovers Month

February is the "love" month. There is a great poem at the following link that talks about what a library is and can be. Of all the places in school, the library is the most magical for it can take us to places beyond our imagination. Enjoy! My Library> CCB

The Hunger Games

I just recently finished "The Hunger Games". I must admit, I was somewhat hesitant to begin this story. Sometimes books for young adults can be kind of edgy and what I read on the jacket cover didn't ease the concerns that I had at all. I am glad to say that as I got into the book, I found a well-crafted story and a interesting story plot. It was certainly futuristic but like all well written science fiction, it built the rules and then abided by them. I found it completely believable. I liked the resolution of the story but it also left the distinct impression that there was more to come and that the story was not yet done. All in all, it was a good experience. It was certainly for entertainment value. Would I consider it a classic and read it again? Probably not. Sometimes it helps to have another opinion and so I found this review of the same book. I hope that it helps you in your reading choices. Find a quiet corner and enjoy! CCB The Hunger Games

Three Cups of Tea

I was exploring today and found an interview with Greg Mortensen-the author of Three Cups of Tea. This is considered a "textbook" at Paradigm and many of the students have been required to read it for one of their classes. I would really encourage you to take the opportunity to investigate what your student is studying. The interview can be found by clicking the following link. Greg Mortensen As a parent, I believe that we have the responsibility to know what our children are studying. One of the different ways of thinking here at Paradigm is how available the textbooks are. I hope that you would take time to learn about this amazing author that has an influence in the life of your student.

Eric Carle

Although he is known for the picture books he has created for children, Eric Carle has a great interview regarding success. The link is posted so that you can read it in its entirety. The principles that he talks about apply to every adventure in life and is well worth the time spent in reading it. On this page there are also several links to interviews with other well-known authors. Some are for children, some are for older. Each has something to share. We hope you enjoy this great resource! CCB Eric Carle

Award winners

Now is the time of year that new Newberry and Caldacott award winners are announced. The Newberry and Caldacott awards are for the best new youth story and illustration. The following link will take you to the American Library Association's official page. Award winners You will also find this year's Alex award winners for most appealing to teens on this link, towards the bottom. The Alex Award winning titles are linked below. These links will take you to reviews of these new winners. We have added these book review links for your convenience in making an informed decision as to your reading choices. We hope that you will take the time to interact with your student regarding these new books. Happy reading! CCB The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind The Bride's Farewell Everything Matters The Good Soldiers The Kids Are All Right The Magicians My Abandonment Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel

Happy New Year!

The holiday theme for the library here at Paradigm was "A book is a gift that can be opened again and again." Accordingly, we have received several new books that will be available for check-out within the next few days. Among the titles there are three books written by Shannon Hale: Forest Born, The Goose Girl and River Secrets. New books currently available for check-out include The Last Olympian, The Titan's Curse, The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordam. Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and The Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. You can find reviews of the above books by clicking on their respective titles: The Last Olympian The Titan's Curse The Sea of Monsters The Hunger Games Peter and the Starcatchers CCB