Mr. Bott's Book of the Week!

GET YOUR BOOKS! The holiday break is approaching and if there is one thing I hear every time I come back from a break, "Mr. Bott, I was bored..." to which I always say- PICK UP A BOOK! This isn't just me being a librarian here, but think of me as your brain's personal trainer. The weights are the books I supply and you better get lifting. Look, if you think you're going to sit and read a Regents exam for 3 hours in January after not having read a lick for the past two years, you're crazy!

All books checked out this week will not be due until AFTER THE BREAK- So get in here start exercising...err....READING!


Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is ready for the holiday break....I suppose I should start shopping now.

My book of the week is Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can’t play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy’s own life, forever.

Book of the Week + News!

Hello everyone- I have been getting questions about the Philosophy Spot. I was out for a while to celebrate the birth of my son Oliver so the Philosophy Spot kind of took a back seat. I'm hoping to start it up again this Friday.

Circulation - We passed 600 books circulated for the school year so far! Awesome job SCLA!

As for the Book of the Week...Have you ever skipped school? Good luck trying that in Education City, the setting of my book of the week: Truancy by Isamu Fukui

In an alternate world, in a nameless totalitarian city, the autocratic Mayor rules the school system with an iron fist, with the help of his Educators. Fighting against the Mayor and his repressive Educators is a group of former students called the Truancy, whose goal is to take down the system by any means possible—at any cost.

Against this backdrop, fifteen-year-old Tack is just trying to survive. His days are filled with sadistic teachers, unrelenting schoolwork, and indifferent parents. Things start to look up when he meets Umasi, a mysterious boy who runs a lemonade stand in an uninhabited district.

Then someone close to Tack gets killed in the crossfire between the Educators and the Truants, and Tack swears vengeance. To achieve his purpose, he abandons his old life and joins the Truancy. There, he confronts Zyid, an enigmatic leader with his own plans for Tack. But Tack soon finds himself torn between his desire for vengeance and his growing sympathy for the Truants….

Isamu Fukui wrote Truancy during the summer of his fifteenth year. The author’s purpose is not just to entertain, but to make a statement about the futility of the endless cycle of violence in the world as well as the state of the educational system. And, as he put it, “I need to be in school myself if I want to write about it.”

Bott = Back!

Hey SCLA, I'm back! I want to thank everyone who has sent their congrats to me over the past 2 weeks. Now for some library updates:

1. We are rearranging the library! I am currently in the process of labeling all the fiction books according to genre. This means when you want a vampire book, you can go to the actual VAMPIRE section. Currently, all the fiction books are organized by author's last name. Hopefully the rearranging will make it easier for you to find books you want. This is going to take about 2 weeks as I have research classes to teach and things to catch up on. I'll keep you updated and have it on the announcements :)

2. IF YOU HAVE A BOOK TO RETURN, DROP BY THE LIBRARY!
- You will not be fined or penalized for a book that was due over the past two weeks.

3. BOOK OF THE WEEK! Mr. Bott's Book of the Week: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King.
***I LOVED this book*** It reminded me of how many times I wanted to forget something; something bad...but the problem seemed to follow me. This book captures that feeling!

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

Book of the Week: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I thought my family was weird...

Our main character in this book, Lena, has got me beat!

           

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Weekly Geekly! How to Eat a Triceratops...

Mmmmm....dinosaur. Other than eating at Dinosaur BBQ in Troy (which I'm pretty sure doesn't serve actual dinosaur), I've never thought about a meal involving extinct beasts. Maybe once and a while I get the hankering for a condor egg omlet, but I stick to the usual, beef, pork, chicken....macaroni. BUT I am slightly obsessed with dinosaurs and during my weekly Google exploration I came across this:

How awesome is that picture? When I was growing up, my two favorite dinosaurs were T-Rex (the one eating) and Triceratops (the one who is being eaten). I always pictured them in these epic battles and it always ended the same. The triceratops would get in a few good pokes with his horns to the T-Rex torso, but ultimately, Rex would win. Why? Because he's Rex...no one beats him...come on!

But even back then with my toy dinosaurs, I always had a problem: How did Rex eat that guy? I mean the shield on the head of the triceratops covered a good portion of the upper back. Now, some would call me a nerd...and you'd be right, but the guy who drew these pictures got me beat. Finally I can sleep at night knowing how Rex got to that tender neck meat of the triceratops! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find my dinosaur toys.

To read more and see the complete set of pictures, check out the website HERE.

New Books Are In!

Our first shipment of new books has arrived! 600 new titles have come in and I'm already getting requests to put them on reserve. We have all the new award winners, all the best urban and street literature, and not to mention vampire books out the wazoo!

Check out the list of new titles by clicking HERE- Scroll through page by page and if you see something you like, let me know!

**NOTE** I purchased multiple copies of some books because everybody and their brother has been asking me for them (example: A Child Called It series).

More to come, so stay tuned!

Book of the Week Time!

Mr. Bott's Book of the Week: 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

This is the strangest, craziest, most...well...peculiar book I've read this year. The pictures on the back cover act as a nice little preface when beginning this story. The story will be adapted to a film which Tim Burton is going to direct in the near future. Until then, check out the book trailer and description below. Don't get too freaked out....

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. 

As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Can You Pick Up The Pieces?

Mr. Bott's Book of the Week: Fallout by Ellen Hopkins  

  Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.      As each teen searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle.     
Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, Fallout is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by Crank and Glass, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem.

Miss Gerke Reviews The Hunger Games

Miss Gerke, our global history teacher, is in the midst of finishing The Hunger Games series. She visited the SCLA Library to give her review on what she has read so far.

Click here to hear her podcast!

Weekly Geekly: The Case of the Giant Eyeball

Imagine you're out for a stroll on a beautiful, warm beach. Do you feel the soft sand between your toes? The water brushing against your ankles? The squish of a GIANT EYEBALL beneath your feet? That's never happened to you? Oh...

Well it happened to Gino Covacci in Florida last week. He didn't step on it, but he found it washed ashore on Pompano Beach north of Ft. Lauderdale. At first, people were baffled. Many speculated that it could have been from the elusive giant squid, but experts from Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute say that it is from, WAIT FOR IT....A Swordfish...

Okay, so not that astounding, but still weird. Experts also think the eye was removed by a fisherman after the swordfish was caught. Look at that thing! The only thing I've ever found on the beach was a sea urchin I stepped on when I was 9. I subsequently found an adult with a band aid.

This Book is WICKED...

Mr. Bott's Book of the Week: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

The Button

If there was a button that, if pressed, could grant you any wish or take away any problem you might have, but someone you don't know would die as a result- Would you press it? James and Nick discuss on this week's edition of Mr. Bott's Philosophy Spot.

Check it out! Don't forget to click this button:   
 If you would like to be part of the Philosophy Spot, email Mr. Bott bottb@schenectady.k12.ny.us

If You Had to Choose Between Living or Dying...

Mr. Bott's book of the week: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family. In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

Why Mr. Bott Disagrees With Columbus Day...

Yesterday was Columbus Day and sure, it was nice to have a day off; however, I have trouble with this "holiday." Everyone knows that rhyme, "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue..." but few know the rest of the song and moreover what ol' Chris Columbus was actually looking for.

In one word: Gold! He wanted GOLD and he knew there was gold in Asia. He wanted to sail from Spain, around the world, to Asia (India and China) in search of these riches.

There were some problems...Columbus thought the earth was much MUCH smaller. He thought he could sail around the world in much less time. Keep in mind, it was 1492 and he didn't know what we now know today.

This is what he thought the earth looked like: Japan and China are not that close to America!

So where did he land? Well, look at the map...He landed where he wanted to land. Only he wasn't in India, he was near Cuba off the coast of Florida! He THOUGHT he was in India and had discovered a new land. This was later called the West Indies (because he traveled WEST and thought he was near INDIA). He also called those people who inhabited the land, Indians, a term the Americas later widely adopted.

So instead of being here

He was actually here

_____________________________________________________________________________

He couldn't find any Gold, but he did find something of value to the Queen: Slaves! By his own admission in writing, he wanted to take the peaceful Arawaks of the Bahama Islands and show them WHO'S BOSS!

Columbus wrote:

"As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts. "

Took the natives by force---He and his men gladly took whatever the Arawak tribe gave them and then proceeded to kill and enslave them. A priest named Bartolome de las Casas who was traveling with Columbus wrote:

"there were 60,000 people living on this island, including the Indians; so that from 1494 to 1508, over three million people had perished from war, slavery, and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this? I myself writing it as a knowledgeable eyewitness can hardly believe it...."

UGH! Hardly a hero....

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of America. New York, New York, USA. HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.

If a Tree Falls...James vs Jerrell

Recently, I sat down with James Rivera and Jerrell White to discuss the old rhetorical question: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? James and Jerrell both give their take on Mr. Bott's Philosophy Spot. Click the link below to hear!

http://mrbottlibrarian.podbean.com/ -- MAKE SURE TO CLICK   :)

Enjoy!

It's October Already?

Happy October everyone!

1. Interim grades are coming out soon- This means a few things. You should be keeping track of your grades by keeping hand outs and checking Home Access Center. If you don't have a Home Access Center login, don't worry, come see me in the library or email me: bottb@schenectady.k12.ny.us . This is an opportunity to talk to your teachers and use your time wisely! I know I sound like a broken record here, but teachers do not give grades YOU EARN THEM!

2. It's Spirit Week! The days go as follow:
Monday - Character Day
Tuesday - Twin Day
Wednesday - Retro Day
Thursday - Classy Day
Friday - Patriot Pride Day (dress in red, white, and blue!)

3. Scary Story Contest- My scary story contest has started! I have 3 entries already and I hear there are many more to come. Remember, the entries must be turned in by October 24th and they must be typed! Here's the best part- Your English teachers will be giving you EXTRA CREDIT if you hand in a story!
Check out official rules here: https://sites.google.com/site/steinmetzlibrary/
OR "Like" SCLA on Facebook



4. Mr. Bott's Book of the Week: The Mockingbirds, by Daisy Whitney: SEE BELOW FOR VIDEO

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

 

 

Happy Fall Everyone!

It's officially autumn, my favorite time of year: Playoff baseball, the start of football season, and of course HALLOWEEN!

SOOOO.... In honor of the October creeping up on us, we are holding a Scary Story Contest. Here are the rules:

1. The story must be original - no cheating or plagiarism here, folks.

2. Keep it clean - I know it's tough to tell a horror story without blood and guts, a little is ok -

but too much = no dice.

3. All stories must be TYPED - So I can understand what you're writing

4. ALL ENTRIES must be turned in by Wednesday October 24, 2012. The winner will be announced the week of Halloween and it will be published here and on the web and SCLA's Facebook page.

***There are also prizes for the top 3 stories***

Mr. Bott's book of the Week!

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles:

Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they
begged for more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a
while anyway. So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak, while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one fragile girl’s life — and the realities of leaving innocence behind.

Book Trailer here:

Space Nerds Unite!

Hey SCLA, quick post about Slooh!

http://events.slooh.com/

Slooh is a space camera that streams events through a telescope. You can look through the telescope via your computer and see things like distant galaxies and planets! Check it out and remember, "be nice to nerds! Chances are you'll be working for one someday" - Bill Gates

- Bott

Last Year vs This Year

Welcome to week 2:
Week 2 means a few things for us...
1. We may or may not be getting used to waking up early
2. We realize we need stronger coffee
3. Mr. Bott has already packed his New York Jets jersey away in hopes of a Super Bowl run next year...*sigh*

Shout Out! A big thank you to James and his brother Jacob for the donation of Skateboarding magazines to the library. As a former skater, I used to read these all the time and subsequently try the tricks I saw in the magazine. This could explain my frequent trips in and out of the hospital as a youth.

In the News: Congrats to our 2 SCLA students who recently passed their driving test. We're so scared proud! Now, as we know, no student can exist without a cell phone. It's like water or oxygen, they can't live without it! But be mindful, cars and phones don't mix. So here's a little reminder about safety!

Texting and Driving is ILLEGAL! http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757519

CIRCULATION - SO...last year we circulation 1630 books in the SCLA library. This was huge. It was something like a 300% increase! I'm looking to match and even top that this year. It's going to take a commitment on my end to get the books you want to read. Stop by the library or email me with your book suggestions at bottb@schenectady.k12.ny.us.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: No Choir Boy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row

No Choirboy takes readers inside America’s prisons, and allows inmates sentenced to death as teenagers to speak for themselves. In their own voices—raw and uncensored—they talk about their lives in prison, and share their thoughts and feelings about how they ended up there. Susan Kuklin also gets inside the system, exploring capital punishment itself and the intricacies and inequities of criminal justice in the United States.
This is a searing, unforgettable read, and one that could change the way we think about crime and punishment.

No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

From Amazon.com

TEACHERS! While listening to NPR on a nice 5 hour drive to Pennsylvania over the weekend, I came across the new episode of This American Life. So what do GEDs, Lab Rats, and Non-cognitive skills have in common? Check it out!



Welcome baaaacccckkk!

Welcome back to school everyone! I know I know, waking up early, getting out later...it's tough. Not to mention I've been at SCLA for three years now and I still can't find Mr. Keough's room. Anyway, I wanted to start this blog to review books, keep you updated on library stuff, or write and post about new things you might find helpful.

1. We inherited a number of books from the closing of Oneida Middle School. Most of the titles are a little young, but there are quite a few I'd like to keep. We have about 16 Naruto graphic novels, Bone graphic novels, and we completed the Cirque du Freak series. I am going to keep around 100 books so come check them out.

2. New Books - I am compiling orders now. Last year we were able to order around 700 new books. This year, I'm looking to add about 900 titles. This is HUGE! We need to read as much as possible as a school. We are constantly tested and if you're going to take a 3 hour test and your eyes and mind aren't ready for it, you're in trouble! Think about an athlete who is never at practice. When it comes time for the big game, that athlete is going to have a tough time keeping up with everyone else on the field. Same goes for reading. READ READ READ! 5-10 minutes a night can do wonders.

3. Interesting.... - The presidential election is coming up in November. Do you care? If you answered "No" like most students I talked to today, then consider this site: www.isidewith.com - It's about 37 questions you can answer and rank how important those issues are to you. Global warming, the economy, health care, legalization of certain drugs, whatever you care about just take 5 minutes and fill out the survey. It will end with you finding out which candidate might be best for you. Remember, there are more than just Obama and Mitt Romney running for this so give it a try!

4. Mr. Bott's book of the Week! Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

It's been seventy-five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her.
And she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone now, and she doesn't want to talk about it. They wouldn't get it, anyway. They wouldn't understand what it feels like to have your best friend ripped away from you.

They wouldn't understand what it feels like to know it's your fault.
Amy's shrink thinks it would help to start a diary. Instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia.
But as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past wasn't as perfect as she thought it was—and the present deserves a chance too.