From our Librarian

Dear Arbor Families,

Lucky for us librarians, teachers, writers, producers, and publishers around our state, our nation, and our world continue to create and curate, and make freely available, engaging digital information materials and artworks for our children during these unforgettable days. Accessing these sometimes seemingly buried treasures can be a bit tricky for our kiddos. Some digital portals ask for users to create a free login. Others require a specific series of clicks to find the hidden gems. The good news: our children are eager learners and relish a promising scavenger hunt. With the support of their grown-ups and any available older siblings or friends, our readers might enjoy discovering the following pirate booty. 

Summer Reading at the Multnomah County Library

image (4).png

Behold! Next week on June 1, registration begins for the Multnomah County Library Summer Reading Program “Imagine Your Story” with fairytales, folktales, and fantasy. The program includes a fantastic, flexible game beginning on June 15 which features reading and listening to books and participating in activities that promise giants and ogres and dragons and spells and potions and sprites galore. Here are the simple steps to join the magical mystery adventures of long ago and far away! And remember: any resident in Oregon with a phone number qualifies for a Multnomah County Library card.  

The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian - A serialized sci-fi adventure story that is reported to be part Scooby-Doo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yowzah sounds like some good fun! You and your kiddo can enjoy over one hundred 15-20 minute episodes!  

What If World: Stories for Kids - What if there was such a thing as magic shoes? What if dinosaurs were alive today? What if a tree named Harrigo went to eat a chocolate that was talking? Yes actually, you read that right! Ten to 20-minutes stories are spun to answer these curious questions we like to ponder.   

Brains On! Science-based stories for curious kids and adults, From the coronavirus to aliens and UFOs to the secret world of dust - it’s all here! Episodes run roughly 20-40 minutes.

Wow in the World - Another excellent science podcast that explores wonders of the world, including trips into our brains, trips to outer space and trips into new areas of science.

Ebooks & Audiobooks

Audible is currently offering over 200 hundred free audiobook recordings in the range of genres. Here’s the breakdown of the levels:

The Multnomah County Library continues to offer easily accessibly no-holds always-available ebook and audiobooks across the genres. 

ickabog.png

 Finally. And I believe I’ve saved the best for last. (Check with your kiddos about the truth of that.) J.K. Rowling once again delights her devoted readers with a new story, The Ickabog, a tale with a cast of quirky characters in an imaginary land, Cornucopia, to be serially released over the next seven weeks. Along with her release of the new-but-also-old-story (you’ll have read on her dedicated website about that twist) she invites her listeners to help her illustrate the story. How fun is that! Students can even choose to submit their illustrations in a competition if they like. 

My hope is that you and your young readers will find some stories and ideas to nosh on together here in these various digital offerings. As we come to the close of this odd school term, I want to wish you all my best in these uncommon days.  


Yours,

Shelly

Visiting Author Coming to Arbor in April

We are happy to announce that award-winning author, Deborah Hopkinson, will spend the day here at Arbor on Tuesday, April 28!  Thanks to the generous grant funding by APT Hopkinson will share her work with students and teachers and guide our young storytellers in writing activities. While we eagerly await our special day with Deborah, here in the library we will be reading through many of her over 50 books for young people, through story time and reading groups. 

Hopkinson conjures the voices of the past for young readers. She writes of human triumphs and tragedies bringing the past to life through the use of vivid description, swift storytelling, and in some cases, masterfully interwoven real-life photographs and quotations. Her works ask readers to take notice, make sense of, and be inspired by our histories in light of the world today. 

Our public libraries keep Hopkinson’s books in heavy rotation, so you can enjoy checking them out from your local branch. Both picture books and full length titles are linked here at the Multnomah County Library, the Washington County LIbrary Services, and the Libraries in Clackamas County. You can also peruse readers’ review of others of Deborah’s books on goodreads. 

Here is a small sampling of Deborah’s books with Goodreads quick links:


We will provide an opportunity for families to purchase from a menu of Deborah’s titles in advance of her April visit. Look out for the book order form that will be available after spring break.

Thanks again, APT board, for making it possible for Deborah to share and work with our kiddos. We are ever grateful!

Shelly

New Books for Adults

The Arbor Center for Teaching (ACT) Library (found on the top floor of the Juniors building) holds over 4000 volumes for teachers and parents to borrow. Topics included in the library offerings include teaching and learning mathematics; reading; digital literacies and technology; writing; diversity, equity & inclusion; family life; dealing with trauma; educational history and philosophy; among other related topics. 

Check out these latest additions to the collection! 

limitless.jpg

Comprehensible and Compelling: The Causes and Effect of Free Voluntary Reading, Stephen Krashen, a giant in the field of reading, offers his latest title on the power of pleasure reading, published in 2018.

Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers, Jo Boaler connects neuroplasticity, growth mindset, the importance of struggle, a multidimensional approach to teaching and learning, the development of flexibility and creativity, and the power of collaboration. Yep, all that rolled together!

Deviced: Balancing Life and Technology in a Digital World written by Portland's own Doreen Dodgen-Magee. This research-based book provides a thoughtful framework for integrating technology into our lives, with implications for how we talk with kids about their own tech use. 

between.jpg

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style  Fresh, sassy and erudite, Benjamin Dreyer is considered by many to have penned the 21st-century Elements of Style.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahesi Coates. I'm guessing this book needs no introduction. But just in case...here is a father's long beautifully woven letter to his son about African American history, the current crisis in America's race relations, and hopeful imaginings for the future. 

So You Want to Talk About Race by Kjeoma Oluo. Maybe you've heard about this title too. Oluo explores the current racial landscape in the US and its history and provides concretes moves dismantling it.