Bang by Barry Lyga

What is the worst thing that you think someone can do to their sibling? Embarrass them? Rough them up in a fight? Betray them? What about accidentally killing them with a gun? That is exactly what happened to Sebastian Cody when he was only four years old. He got a hold of his father’s gun and shot his 4 month old sister, Lola.

Ten years later, Sebastian is 14 years old living in the same house and haunted by the oppressive guilt of his actions so many years ago. His father has left years ago. His best friend is leaving for the summer. Sebastian sees only one way out. He figures that a gun got himself into this pain so a gun can get him out of it. Sebastian is planning suicide. But then a new family moves into his block, and a girl his age named Aneesa doesn’t know that he is the boy who killed his sister. She only knows who he is now. She likes his personality. Together they work together to become a bit of a YouTube sensation. It seems like this might be a turning point for Sebastian. But then school starts again in the fall and conflicts start. Will his newfound internet fame mean that Aneesa will discover his past? Will Sebastian follow through with his plan?

I feel like Barry Lyga tackled the topic of gun violence in an interesting way. Often young adult books deal with guns by having teens wield the weapons. This story starts when the teen protagonist was just a child. The big conflict is Sebastian dealing with the guilt of his actions so many years ago. This is ultimately a book about healing. What helps us heal? What is an obstacle to our healing?

Not only did Lyga handle the topic of guns and suicide ideation well, but he also touched on the topic of Islamophobia and bullying. I never felt like the book took on a preachy tone. Rather I found myself rooting for Sebastian. What I appreciated about this book was that, as a reader, I thought I had predicted how it would all resolve, but Lyga ending up surprising me.

If you are looking for a realistic young adult book that tackles tough issues with likable characters, this book is for you. This book is recommended for students who enjoyed books like I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson and Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner.


Available at AHS, BCHS, ECHS, GVHS, and MHS. If a copy isn't available at your site, talk to library staff about requesting from one of our other district libraries.

The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker

Flavors are killing us.  Specifically added flavors in processed foods and missing flavors in factory farm-produced foods.  It turns out that there is a link between taste and nutrition and our industrial-gastronomic system has short circuited that connection.  Flavors in foods signal our bodies that certain nutrients are headed toward the stomach.  By adding artificial and "natural" flavors to our foods we trick our bodies into thinking that we are eating nutritious food.  When the promised nutrients do not arrive in our gut (which has taste receptors!) the gut tells the mouth to keep eating.  Thus we end up eating the entire bag of Doritos, or Oreos, or whatever processed food we are eating.  So why add flavors?  Because modern industrial farming favors size and appearance over flavor and nutrition.  Everything from chickens to tomatoes are now much blander-- and thus less nutritious-- than they were 100 years ago.  Blander and less nutritious leads to more overeating.

This book was fascinating, informative, and alarming.  We are eating more and getting less out of what we eat.  Flavor science has co-opted our body's system for getting the nutrients we need and the result is a sicker and fatter population.  Read this and you will never look at a chicken nugget the same way. 

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

This is a fitting, and fittingly violent, end to an amazing trilogy.  Darrow, a.k.a. The Reaper of Mars, begins the book imprisoned and tortured by the Jackal.  A dramatic rescue brings him home to the Reds and the hidden center of the Martian rebellion.  With Sevro, Mustang, and Ragnar at his side he leads a rag tag cross section of society against the unbeatable Golds.  With all the requisite setbacks and miraculous escapes the rebels must persevere against nearly impossible odds to end the Gold tyranny.

Like the previous 2 volumes this is an exciting read with plenty of action and unexpected plot twists.  We are also treated to a more mature and thoughtful protagonist as Darrow becomes more focused on the future and building a more just society.  Fans of the first 2 books will eat this up.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Super easy screencasting with ViewedIt

Tech Tip Tuesday is brought to you by the MUHSD Teacher Librarians

ViewedIt

ViewedIt is a free Chrome extension that makes it quick and easy to create and share screencast videos. With the extension installed you can record your entire screen or just one window tab. ViewedIt will let you record yourself with your webcam too. The best part of ViewedIt is that you can track who watches your video. To record on ViewedIt you simply have to click the extension icon then choose what you want to record. When you're done recording your video is automatically stored on ViewedIt. From ViewedIt you can share your video via email and social media. If you choose to share via email, you will be able to track who watched your video.

Tech Tip Tuesday Bonus Edition: The Equifax Data Breach

Tech Tip Tuesday is brought to you by the MUHSD Teacher Librarians.

Last week it was revealed that the credit reporting company Equifax suffered a major security breach.  Data, including social security numbers, for over 1/2 the adults in the United States was stolen.  The implications are huge.  Chances are that you were affected and the data could be used by hackers for years to come.

What should you do?

• Learn as much as you can about the breach.  These articles from the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Reports are a good starting place.
• Visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com and click on Potential Impact then input your last name and part of your social security number to see if your data was compromised.
• Sign up for 1 free year of credit monitoring with Equifax at the above site.  That is not long enough but it is a start.  Consider purchasing credit monitoring services on a long term basis.
• Monitor your credit reports.  You can get a free credit report once per year from http://www.annualcreditreport.com/.  Many banks and credit cards give you free monthly access to your credit report.  If you have a Citi Visa from Costco you can get your FICO score every month.
• Place a Fraud Alerts or Credit Freezes with the major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).  A Fraud Alert forces companies to take extra steps to verify identity before opening accounts or giving credit.  A freeze prevents any accounts from being opened.  If you place a freeze it may take 3 days or more to unfreeze your credit if you are getting ready to open an account or apply for credit.
• Enable 2-factor authentication for your email and financial accounts.  When someone tries to log in to one of your accounts from a new device it will require a code texted to your phone.  This is not currently enabled for muhsd.org but it is for Gmail.com and most other services.
• Check your credit card and bank statements carefully every month.
• Contact your legislators and demand that the government tighten regulations regarding consumer financial security and make it easier for individuals to recover from identity theft. See this opinion piece from the SF Chronicle for suggested improvements.

The most important advice is to be proactive.  Don't wait for problems to arise before you act.

Tech Tip Tuesday 9/12/17: Google Drive Quick Search

Tech Tip Tuesday is brought to you by the MUHSD Teacher Librarians.

Did you know you can use your URL bar at the top of your browser to search your Google Drive on the fly?

Book Review: Ideh by Ethan Hawke and Greg Ruth

This well-researched graphic novel is based on true events that took place during the Apache Wars.  Cochise and Geronimo are featured as they fight to preserve their way of life and to avenge their murdered people.  Violence begets violence and atrocity begets atrocity as the war moves toward its inevitable conclusion.  Ruth's artwork is striking, bordering on haunting.  It is beautiful and brutal in equal measures.  The book is one of the few places the story of this war is told from the Apache perspective.  The images and the story will stay with readers long after the book is closed.

Salt to the Sea

Pop quiz:  What was the greatest (i.e. worst) shipwreck in terms of the number of people killed?  The Titanic?  No.  The Lusitania?  Nope.  It was the Wilhelm Gustloff-- by a huge margin.  In Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys takes us on board the ill-fated cruise ship in the days surrounding the disaster.  During the waning days of World War II the ship, designed to carry about 1,500 passengers is stripped down to carry 10,000 German and Eastern European refugees fleeing the advance of the Soviet Army as the Third Reich crumbles.  Four teens, each with something to hide, are brought together on the ship.  They must fight to survive this unimaginable and little known tragedy.

We have several copies in the library.  This book is not to be missed.

“Observations of war and loss, human cruelty, and hatred are unflinching.
But through the horror and heartbreak shine rays of hope: love, kindness, courage,
and sacrifice. Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys’s exploration of this
little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping.”
-School Library Journal (starred review)

#salttothesea #RutaSepetys #historicalfiction

Lit Circles in Mrs. Schneider's classes

Mrs. Schneider is starting Lit Circles today!  

Pre-AP students will be reading:

• Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee, about his escape from North Korea
• Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan, about an albino boy running for his life in Tanzania
• Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter, about her experiences in foster care and adoption.

English 1 students will be reading:

• Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena, about a mixed race boy dealing with issues of recial identity, family, and baseball
• Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin about 3 siblings trying to survive their abusive mother
• Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie based on his life growing up on a reservation in Washington state (my favorite YA book of all time!)

Chromebook Tips and Tricks

Tech Tip Tuesday from 8/22/17

https://docs.google.com/a/muhsd.k12.ca.us/presentation/d/1UAMAKXIqDjcco0U19nuaG0mowFWKSQO4PZ_7alWEMWk/edit?usp=sharing

Don't Kill the Chromebook!

Hey kids!  Don't charge your phone or any other device from the USB ports on your Chromebook.  The Asus and Dell devices will disconnect the battery to prevent damage.  The Chromebook will need to be disassembled so the battery can be reconnected.