Tom Clancy - Author of the Month

Picture from
TomClancy.com

Tom Clancy (1947-2013) always had a keen interest in naval history. He studied and read books, technical manuals, and journals as a young person and hoped to serve in the military. His poor eyesight prevented him from serving, and he instead took a job as an insurance agent and began writing on the side. His first published book was The Hunt for Red October (1984). It was a new genre of book - the espionage thriller - filled with stories of spies and descriptions of military technologies. 

Clancy's work is still highly popular. 17 of his books have been #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List, and he has sold millions of copies. Many of his books (specifically the Jack Ryan novels) have been made into major motion pictures and even video games. The genre he created has grown rapidly in popularity. We most likely wouldn't have TV shows like 24 and Homeland without Tom Clancy.

Clancy was a prolific writer up until his death in October of 2013. His final book Command Authority (a Jack Ryan novel) will be released December 3rd. 

If you like thrillers and military weapons and tactics, check out one of Tom Clancy's novels today. They are on display in the fiction section of the Library Media Center. You can find information about all of Clancy's books at his website TomClancy.com.

***Most of the information for this post came from the October 2, 2013 New York Times obituary for Tom Clancy.

Thanksgiving & Fall Collection

Thanksgiving is my favorite family holiday. (I say family holiday, because my REAL favorite holiday is and forever will be Groundhog day, but that is another story for another day.) With Thanksgiving, you get all the perks with none of the pressure (assuming you have weaseled your way out of the cooking responsibilities). There are no gifts to buy, no major decorations to pull down from the attic, no themed music or jolly elves. But do you know what else is lacking? Books. There are a zillion and a half (surely someone out there is working on one now) Christmas themed books, but when you try to find something related to Thanksgiving it becomes a bit difficult - but it's not impossible. If you are looking for a Thanksgiving/Fall related book, here are a few we have available for you:

Fiction - Want a good story? Here are some cozy fiction books to read after Thanksgiving dinner.

A Catered Thanksgiving: a Mystery with Recipes - Sisters and caterers Bernie and Libby Simmons hustle to find a murderer and clear their own names when the Thanksgiving turkey they prepared for the Field family explodes, killing elderly patriarch Monty. Includes recipes. 

The Winds of Autumn - Josh, an orphan raised by relatives on the family farm, faces important questions about life, love, and himself, while on the brink of manhood. This is one part of the Seasons of the Heart series - a romantic historical fiction series by Christian author Janette Oke.

Football - There is a seemingly eternal link between football and Thanksgiving. Here are a couple of our many football-related titles. 

Friday Night Lights Thanksgiving: a Mystery with Recipes - This is a nonfiction tale that reads like fiction. It's the story of a high school football program and its relationship with the town. It's also the inspiration for the acclaimed television show. 

Autumn's Mightiest Legions - It's not very often that I recommend a 50 year old nonfiction book - but this one gives a unique perspective of Texas High School Football. If you are interested in learning about early high school powerhouses and how the sport really spread its roots in Texas, this is an interesting read. 

Nonfiction - Have a thirst for knowledge? These books are about the history and people related to the first Thanksgiving.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World - After a journey across the Atlantic, the Mayflower's passengers were saved from destruction with the help of the natives of the Plymouth region. For fifty years, peace was maintained as Pilgrims and Natives worked together. But that trust was broken with the next generation of leaders, and conflict erupted that nearly wiped out English and natives alike. 

William Bradford: Rock of Plymouth - This is a biography of one of the founders of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts and a history of the Pilgrims' difficult time during their early years in the New World.

Mary Higgins Clalrk - Author of the Month

Photo from MaryHigginsClark.com

Mary Higgins Clark is widely known as the "Queen of Suspense." Millions of copies of her books have been sold all over the world, but she is most famous for her 20+ suspense novels. Many of those novels have been turned into television movies, and two have become feature films.

Here's a snippet about her early life from her biography on MaryHigginsClark.com:

Mary Higgins Clark's fame as a writer was achieved against heavy odds. Born and raised in the Bronx, her father died when she was eleven and her mother struggled to raise her and her two brothers. On graduating from high school, she went to secretarial school, so she could get a job and help with the family finances. After three years of working in an advertising agency, travel fever seized her. For the year 1949, she was a stewardess on Pan American Airlines' international flights. "My run was Europe, Africa and Asia," she recalls. "I was in a revolution in Syria and on the last flight into Czechoslovakia before the Iron Curtain went down. After flying for a year, she married a neighbor, Warren Clark, nine years her senior, whom she had known since she was 16. Soon after her marriage, she started writing short stories, finally selling her first to Extension Magazine in 1956 for $100.

Left a young widow by the death of her husband from a heart attack in 1964, Mary Higgins Clark went to work writing radio scripts and, in addition, decided to try her hand at writing books. Every morning, she got up at 5 AM and wrote until 7 AM, when she had to get her five children ready for school. Her very first book was a biographical novel about George Washington... Read the rest of her story on her website.

Though she is now in her 80s, Clark continues to write. Her latest novel entitled Daddy's Gone a Hunting, was published in April of 2013. We have several Mary Higgins Clark books on display this month in the fiction section of the library media center. Check out one today!

J.K. Rowling - Author of the Month

Image from
www.jkrowling.com

Since its October, it seems only fitting to highlight the author who penned the most popular book series about wizardry and magic in the history of the world - J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books.

Joanne Rowling was born in England and currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. She went from being a struggling single mother on welfare to one of the wealthiest women in the world in less than a decade due to the success of her novels. The first installment of the Harry Potter series was published in the UK in 1997, and the final book was published in 2007. These 7 books captured the imagination of readers all over the globe. According to Biography.com, the 6th book (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) sold 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours in the United States alone, and the final book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) was "the largest ever pre-ordered book at chain stores Barnes & Noble and Borders, and at Amazon.com."

Since the success of her work, Rowling has been active in charity work for organizations like Gingerbread (a charity for lone parent families), Lumos, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society (her mother died of MS at the age of 45). You can find out more about these charities at jkrowling.com.

Because of her immense popularity as an author, Rowling doesn't interact with fans as much as some authors, but you can find her on Twitter (@jk_rowling) or on Facebook. You can also keep up with the latest news and notes (including info about her latest novel for adults titled The Casual Vacancy) on her official website.

Librivox - Free Public Domain Audiobooks

logo from Librivox.org

Mr. B has been raving about Librivox for years, so the fact that I haven't written a post on it yet is somewhat shocking. The website is the audiobook equivalent of Project Gutenberg. Books that are out of copyright and thus in the Public Domain have been recorded and placed online for free download. If your class is reading a Shakespearean play or other piece of classic literature, this is a great place to go for a free way to listen to the book while you read it.

Librivox in many cases even offers free cover art and cd inserts in case you want to burn a copy to disc. Isn't that nice of them? It's also incredibly compatible with iTunes, so you iPhone and iPod touch users can easily tap into the resource.

Take a few minutes to explore the site and try a download or two. It has the potential of making your English class just a little easier.

Ebook & Audiobook Tutorials

Need help accessing our digital resources? Check out these easy to follow tutorials put together by Mr. B.

Mike Lupica - Author of the Month

Image from MikLupicaBooks.com

For most of his career Mike Lupica has been known as a sports writer. He has been a sports columnist for the New York Daily News since 1977. His newspaper career branched into writing novels, teleplays, and nonfiction sports books.  

Some of his most popular novels include books like Hero and Million Dollar Throw. His books combine the thrill of live-action sports and Lupica's behind-the-scenes experience in the business with a fictional twist that is often not at all sports related to create novels that are suspenseful and exciting. 

If you want to know more about this author, visit his website. You can take a look at our collection of Mike Lupica books which are on display in the fiction section of the media center all month long. 

New Extended Media Center Hours

We are looking forward to another awesome school year here in the HS Media Center. This year, we are extending our hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make sure you have ample access to media center resources. Here are the hours this year:

Monday        - 7:15 - 3:45 pm
Tuesday        - 7:15 - 6:00 pm
Wednesday   - 7:15 - 3:45 pm
Thursday       - 7:15 - 6:00 pm
Friday           - 7:15 - 2:45 pm

Need to host your club or organization meeting in the media center? Just let us know! We have a full presentation system at your disposal when you reserve the space. Just talk to Mrs. Webb or Mr. B for more information.

Have a great school year!

Contest Winner - Brooke Mosley

Congratulations to Brooke Mosley, winner of our Hailey Cockerham Creative Writing Contest for her short story "The Man Who Left."

Brooke received a scholarship for $250 from the HS Library Media Center at the HS Awards Assembly Monday, May 20th.  You can read Brooke's story here.

Michael Crichton - Author of the Month

Picture from
MichaelCrichton.net

When I think of author Michael Crichton, I think of Jurassic Park - so perhaps it is a great time to have him as our author of the month as one of his most famous films has made a trip back to theaters.

Crichton (1942-2008) was a doctor, author, film and television director, and professor.  He is most famous for works like The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, ER, and Twister.  He often meshes his studies in the scientific world with his fiction and film writing to create unique worlds and experiences for the readers and viewers.  There aren't many other science fiction writers who have successfully crossed the divide into mainstream popularity as well as he has.

There is a full biography of Crichton on his website with information about all his books and films and details about some of his other interests.  Crichton died in November of 2008 from cancer.  You can watch a CBS News tribute to Crichton and his life here.

Take a few minutes to explore some of the works of Michael Crichton this month.  You'll find his books on display in the fiction section of the media center.

Hailey Cockerham Creative Writing Contest

DOWNLOAD YOUR ENTRY FORM HERE

Submit your Entry HERE - Deadline is May 1st

***Find out more about Hailey***

All LHS students are eligible to enter.  Entries will be accepted electronically from April 8th through May 1st.  A panel of judges will choose 5 finalists which will be announced and published on the LHS Library Media Center website May 10th. Readers will be able to vote online for their favorite entries through May 17th.  The results of the online voting will be combined with the judges’ scores to determine the grand prize winner who will receive a $250 scholarship from the LHS Library Media Center.

The grand prize will be announced and awarded at the LHS Awards program on May 20th.

Contest Rules:

• Mustbe a current Lorena High School Student to enter
• Stories must be between 250 – 1500 words in length
• Stories will be judged on:
• Plot and Character Development
• Originality
• Proper use of grammar and punctuation

ImportantNotes
- There is not a poetry category this year, although we may add one in the future.
- Any entry containing “adult” content that cannot be published on the LHS Library Media Center website will not be considered as a grand prize finalist.

DOWNLOAD YOUR ENTRY FORM HERE

Submit your Entry HERE - Deadline is May 1st.

Lurlene McDaniel - Author of the Month

Photo from lurlenemcdaniel.net

There are some authors that just have the innate ability to move you to tears - and Lurlene McDaniel is one of those.  She writes books that are strong blends of love and tragedy, and her characters connect with readers on a personal level.

According to her website, McDaniel was born in Philadelphia but grew up in Florida.  She now lives in Tennessee.  She says that her writing stems from her son's diagnosis of diabetes that he received at age 3, and she loves to inspire people to do things to help others.  Her writing and characters are often inspired by the songs she hears and loves.  You can even find a list of the musical inspirations for her latest book Year of Luminous Love on her website - one of which is a George Strait song, so she obviously has good taste.  :-)

You can connect with Lurlene McDaniel on Twitter (@Lurlene_McD), Facebook, or YouTube where she often answers questions from readers.  Her birthday is this month (April 5th), so feel free to send her birthday wishes, and she also has a book tour coming up soon.  Check her website and social media pages for dates and locations.  You can find a display of McDaniel's books in the fiction section of the media center.

Follett Ebooks for Kindle Fire (sort of)

We have a decent ebook selection, but many people have expressed that they are annoyed that there is no way for them to read the ebooks on their Kindle devices.  Well - good news is here.  You can now access these ebooks from Kindle Fire devices - as long as you have an Internet connection.

Here's how to get it done:

• Open a Browser window on your Kindle Fire and visit http://bit.ly/lisdmedia or click here if you're reading this on your Kindle Fire.
• Click Digital resources from the left menu
• Click FollettShelf
• You will be able to browse the ebooks in our collection.
• When prompted for your Username & Password - it is the same as the one you use for AR.

You'll then be able to check out and read to your heart's content!

Happy reading!

Author of the Month - Margaret Peterson Haddix

Picture from haddixbooks.com

Margaret Peterson Haddix has written "over 25" (the safest estimation according to her website) books for young adults including the popular Shadow Children series.  

She has been a writer and a reader her whole life, starting her career as a journalist in the Midwest.  She triple majored in college in creative writing, journalism, and history - which helps explain why many of her books are based somewhere in between fact and fiction.  She often works historical elements into her fiction - like in the hugely popular Missing series.  

You can find out more about Haddix by checking out her website or visiting her Facebook page.  She often responds to her fans on the page and shares some interesting insights into her writing process.  Take a minute to check out one of her books from the fiction section of the media center!  

New Titles

We recently got in over 60 new titles!  Most of these were recommended or requested by you and your peers.  Take a minute to look through the new arrivals list, browse the new ebooks and audiobooks, or ask Mr. B or Mrs. Webb about them.

(Your login credentials for ebooks and audiobooks are the same as what you use for AR access.)

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Photo from
https://twitter.com/TheLBDofficial

*This paragraph is based entirely on my own opinion.*  Suffice it to say that most adults over the age of 30 have no clue what YouTube really is.  They know there are videos there - most of which I am sure they would describe as rather inappropriate or sometimes entertaining.  They may even admit to you that they have found great how-to videos to help them with things like changing out electrical outlets or building a greenhouse.  They don't know, though, that it is a platform for impressive art and creativity - that there are shows with episodes and channels with regular programming.  It's up to you to educate them.  Really.  I can't do it all on my own.  Help these people out.

Ok.  Off my soapbox now and on to the point.  One of the most interesting YouTube Channels I've come across recently is called the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  (I'm about a year behind on this - as I am in many areas, but it's worth sharing just the same.) The classic novel Pride & Prejudice has recently turned 200 years old, and yet it is alive and well in this vlog-style modern retelling of the novel.  In a series of 3 minute video diaries, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet brings the whole Pride & Prejudice story into the modern world, but perhaps more interesting than that is the infusion of other social media platforms into the show.  The characters are on Twitter and Tumblr for viewers to follow & interact with in between episodes. Just so you know, the videos are teen rated.  

If you want, you can check out the show from the beginning on the show's website or check out the YouTube channel directly.

The ultimate point of this post is actually not to make you the next Lizzie Bennet superfan.  It's to remind you that we live in a world where creating your own successful TV show is as simple as having a camera and a great idea.  Use the technology available to you to make your mark on the world.  There's no telling what you can come up with.  Click the Read More link if you want to watch the first video.

Nicholas Sparks - Author of the Month

Photo from NicholasSparks.com

Nicholas Sparks is one of the most successful contemporary authors in the United States.  His novels - mostly love stories that appeal to female readers - have sold millions of copies in the US and across the world.  Every one of this novels has been a New York Times Bestseller, and eight of his books have film adaptations including the soon-to-be-released Safe Haven starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel.   

On a personal level, Sparks was a track and field athlete in high school and at the University of Notre Dame, and he has coached.  He is married and lives in North Carolina - where his books are typically set.  If you want to know more about him, check out the FAQ page on his website.  It's full of his own answers to questions about why he writes, his writing process, and his life.  You can also find him on Twitter @SparksNicholas.

Our collection of Sparks books is highly popular, but the books that are currently available for checkout can be found displayed in the fiction section of the media center.  Let us know what your favorite Nicholas Sparks book is!

PowerSchool App

In case you didn't know - there is a PowerSchool app available for iOS devices.  PowerSchool for Students allows you to check your grades, attendance, assignments and more on the go.  The app is free and available in the App Store.  The app is created by Pearson School Systems (the maker of PowerSchool), so the app is fully functional.

At this time there is not an app for Android devices (not a pleasant thing for this Android user), but hopefully they'll jump on the bandwagon soon.

Diigo

I know several students are utilizing Diigo for their research paper process.  I thought it wouldn't hurt to add a direct link here on the blog.

For those of you not using Diigo with your research papers, it is an extremely helpful tool that helps you organize information from the web.  You can take notes and highlight directly inside websites and then have those notes available to you from any computer.  You can find a great intro to Diigo video here.

Scott Westerfeld - Author of the Month

photo by Samantha Jones

Our author of the month for January is Scott Westerfeld.  He is the author of 18 novels - 5 for adults and 13 for young adults and is best known for the futuristic Uglies series and the steampunk trilogy Leviathan.  You can find these on display in the fiction section of the library media center.

Westerfeld was born in Texas but now splits his time between Australia and New York - "to avoid the deadly scourge of winter" according to his website.  He is married to author Justine Larbalestier.

Westerfeld updates his blog fairly regularly with information about his travels and appearances, his books, and anything else that seems important to him at the time.  You can also follow him on Twitter @ScottWesterfeld.  Check out one of his books today!