It is like a holiday around here when books arrive to add to our collection! The boxes show up and it feels like Christmas as we delve into the new titles and prepare them for the shelves. This past Monday, we received a shipment that contains some really interesting titles. After a quick review of the new books, here are some great new choices available for checkout in the Boyd library.

Small As An Elephant – Jack is forced on an adventure when he wakes up in a tent in Maine, his mom is gone and he is all alone. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened? With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKgG3b0XDD0

Clockwork Print – The recent installment of The Mortal Instruments series. As the Council attempts to strip Charlotte of her power, sixteen-year-old orphaned shapechanger Tessa Gray works with the London Shadowhunters to find the Magister and destroy his clockwork army, learning the secret of her own identity while investigating his past.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvNQ2xLWfRI

How They Croaked – The demises of nineteen famous people, beginning with King Tut and ending with Albert Einstein, are recounted in gory detail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqlPxf91ORw

Flip – Sixteen-year-old Alex awakens to find that six months have gone by and he seems to be living in another boy's body, and as Alex tries to figure out what happened, he wonders if he will ever be able to return to the life he once knew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcymh2QnwE

Mornings before school starts, are a favorite time for students in the Boyd library. We see friends meeting every morning, kids cutting out and gluing last minute projects, coffee being shared, papers being passed, gum being chewed, donuts being eaten, make-up being applied and many other things that can leave a library a bit messy! Fortunately, we are blessed to have a group of students that come to our rescue every morning, after the bell rings. Mr. Prather and Ms. Clark bring down students first period who graciously give their time helping to put the library back together each morning.  They not only bring their smiles, but also their great attitudes to help us clean around the computers, tables and floors, push in chairs, water plants and straighten book shelves. We appreciate all the hard work these students do for us each and every day!

It is not very often that we get the chance to visit with an author to learn about their inspirations for writing a novel. Monday, we were delighted to have author Michelle Madow in the library, sharing her first novel called “Remembrance”.  She spoke to students from the Journalism, English and Newspaper classes. Michelle is a very dynamic 25 year old writer poised to provide inspiration to young teens who may be interested in choosing writing as a career. We learned so much about the process that goes into writing a novel as well as what it takes to become a published author.

One of our students, Sarah Yanniello had this to say, “I thought she was very real and she was very outgoing. She related to all of us really well. It sounds like a good story that I would want to read. “

Another student, Enrique Maldonado added, “She did a great job. I enjoyed her presentation and it sounds like a great book!”

You can follow Michelle and learn more about her novel “Remembrance”.

www.michellemadow.com

Puzzlers left to right: Mikaela Rhodes, Cassidy Winter, Renee Pearl, Niqi Crump, Ana Atchley, Janie Engelke

When you come to McKinney Boyd High School, you walk in the front doors and just off to your right, in the center of the campus, you will find the Boyd Library. Our location is strategic in not only the physical location, but in being the activity center of the campus.

When you enter the library, you will see our bulletin board filled with current events, upcoming club meetings and interesting articles about Boyd. This is where students and teachers come to find out what is happening on the campus. We not only provide information on things going on outside the library but we also provide a gathering place for classroom activities, clubs and group meetings. On any given day you may see a class working on computers, studying at tables, students from one of the photography classes taking photos, music being performed, (the “Unplugged” concert series), collection boxes for various charities, club meetings like our Secret Drawer Society, the Boyd Book Club, PTO meetings and special events like the upcoming AP class selection meeting this Thursday evening. We are blessed to provide a place of safety and comfort for the community to enjoy and take this role very serious. If we can ever provide you or your group some library time, please let us know. 

We always look forward to seeing who we get to share the library with each day. From students to teachers, performers, art students, photo classes and special events, we never know who will walk through our doors. Wednesday we had a treat as a group of McKinney Senior Citizens came to tour McKinney Boyd.  Our PALS or Peer Assistance and Leadership Service kids took groups of Senior Citizens around the school to share examples of changes in education and show off the amazing ways students are learning in the 21st Century. We were blessed to spend time with some of the seniors and hear wonderful stories of what school was like when they were growing up. We welcome more opportunities to meet with the community and let them experience the joy that we have every day here in the halls of Boyd.