A reminder to use the useful links!

Life is busy and you may not always think to scroll further down the page, but do remember to periodically check out the "useful links" on my page and also on the pages of your teachers.
The grade 12s, for instance,  may be interested in checking out the school division's Pursue Online Career website with info on scholarships, post-secondary choices, and career planning.

If you are at home or just too tired to make it downstairs to the library and require an atlas, try Canadian Geographic Atlas to look up what you need.

Working on an assignment for that Canadian history buff Mrs. Trumier?  Try using The Canadian Encyclopedia Online

Late at night and you totally forgot how to write a bibliography?  Try plugging your info into Bibme and it will format a bibliography for a book, article or website for you.

Saskatchewan Learning also makes available several databases for Saskatchewan schools.  To access them, go to Saskatchewan Learning and explore what they have.

These are just a few of the resources available to you if you take to time to explore the links on our blogs - so remember next time you aren't able to come down to the library!    All of the above are permanently linked on the right .

Library Creations!

The library has been a busy place this week and a productive one!  We had many creative projects started during book club on Tuesday and a few completed - some today after school!  Some of our senior students are even getting in on the fun during their study periods - Mai could not resist and has produced several lovely pieces of jewellery for herself!   I thought I would add a close up of the samples I made (the only ones left at the end of the day!)  Good job everybody :)

More Book Club Fun!

Those of you who regularly read the blog will remember my winter pictures of our family farm, so I thought I would add this summer one, taken at a 50th anniversary photo shoot for my parents (by Twyla Lapointe of Admire Photography)

Featuring my adorable six-year-old nephew, of course.  He regularly takes me down in light-saber battles, but then he ALWAYS gets to be Darth Vader, and Darth Vader ALWAYS wins.

Anyway, on to library stuff!  Book clubbers should be thinking about what passage of text you want to use for the jewellery project we are starting this week.  We can photocopy, print something out, or you can just use a page from a recycled book - give it some thought.   For those of you who want a reminder of what we are kind of aiming at here is a link at Julz Reads where she has used an old copy of Henry IV to craft her necklace.  This will probably take us more than one lunch hour, so don't expect to take your project home tomorrow!

Scholastic orders have been placed, so expect an influx of new books sometime in the next week to ten days!

Get Into a New Series!

We have LOTS of them in the library, including our newest purchase which we discussed at book club - the CHERUB series by Robert Muchamore. I told you a bit about the series while you were busy with your bookmarks, but you may be interested to hear the author himself tell you about it:

 As I told you on Tuesday, my son LOVES these books - he is on #11 right now and will be very sad when he is finished with the series. He assures me that they would appeal to both girls and boys, so consider putting your name down for them - it sounds like they are best read in order (I am numbering the spines.)

 I received an email from Random House which featured this infographic (all adult books), but it got me thinking that perhaps we could work on something similar at one of our book club meetings by tapping into all of your pooled reading experience - what do you think? I really like the look of this and it might be fun to do. Have a look at it here "What Do You Feel Like Reading Infographic"

A final reminder to book club members to hand in your bookmarks to me by the end of the day today if you would like them laminated - I will be taking them tomorrow and returning them to you next week.

Great Books Coming Your Way...Gradually!

Hello again!
We are going to try a book club meeting for Seniors today (Thursday) since we had such an AMAZING turnout of grade 7-9 students on Tuesday!  I think it would be more productive to split into two groups this year if we have some interest from older students as well.

Juniors, let me know what you think about incorporating the occasional small craft (such as bookmarks, etc.) into our meetings this year.  Fun?  or not so much - I don't have my Quinn at home this year to tell me what is cool and what's boring!

As a follow-up to our talk about the book Colin Fischer, which now has quite a long reserve list by the way, I read a few reviews (all positive) and found this little video trailer.  I hope all of you who put your name down for it enjoy it and I am now eager to read it myself!

Back to the Books!

Welcome to all students returning to Rivier Academy and especially to those exploring our halls for the first time this year!  What an exciting year we have ahead of us - certain to "go beyond" our expectations in so many ways.

As many of you are aware, the cataloguing of textbooks has monopolized my time for the last while so you have not had many new books out on display yet - but I promise they will be coming!  Mrs. Mengell has the Scholastic book orders out so make sure you have a look at those if you enjoy the experience of owning your own book collection.

Our first book club meeting will be tomorrow, Tuesday, at 12:05 in the library.  I think we will call for juniors and seniors together at this first meeting and see who is interested this year and then we can decide how we want to proceed.    I am looking forward to hearing about what all of you read over the holidays!

Quinn (my daughter) and Kenzie in the library for graduation formals in June.  Both are off experiencing THEIR challenging first weeks at university!

Almost Spring!

Or is it...
I took this photo at my Mom and Dad's farm on Easter Sunday - we have the old community hall in our farmyard and it is almost 2 stories high. This is how much snow had drifted around it:

Lots of fun for my nephew (and Quinn and Charlie!) but it was kind of a crazy Easter egg hunt!

Now that we are further along into "spring" here's what it looked like this Sunday:

I am all for fun in the snow, but enough is enough!  Let me just say that if that building is completely submerged when we visit next week I am heading south!  It is time for some serious thawing to happen.    (Meanwhile, Mr. C and Charlie were helping to dig trenches around the house to divert the anticipated water flow from the basement!)

And in library news, we have a super-fancy new library catalogue and you can search it from ANYWHERE!  How exciting is that?  For now, I have linked it here through the Loopy Library on the  top right.  Once you click on that it takes a minute and then you will be taken to the world of LIBRARYWORLD, or Rivier's little corner of it.  You can then enter your search terms in the box at the top, or just browse the latest items I've been cataloguing.  I haven't fully investigated whether you are able to reserve items from home or not - we will be learning together!

All of my noon hour regulars will be delighted to know that Model U.N. has wrapped up for now, so there will be no more of those meetings delaying your entry into the library!  We are back to 12:05 opening Monday to Thursday, unless unforeseen circumstances arise.

Finally, I am so enjoying your artwork on our bookshelves!  We even had our big group of exchange students from Japan decorate them for us - I thought I would share a couple of my favourites here:

Have a great day and try out that new catalogue link!

More New Titles For You!

We had another awesome book club meeting at lunch today! Anyone who missed out can pop by to see what's new and exciting. I thought I would post a couple of trailers for new books that may have been overlooked because they don't have a very "descriptive description" or perhaps I just haven't talked them up enough to the students who have come in looking for reading material... Anyway, some of you might be too young to remember Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, but it was VERY popular and he has now published another novel - the first in a series - called Who Could That Be At This Hour?
Have a look:


The other book I WISH more students would read is Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I have read this one and it is an excellent book about SO MANY THINGS - from not fitting in to the true nature of friendship and courage, I WANT YOU TO READ IT!!!
Here's the trailer:

Hello again!

Such a long time and SO MANY GOOD BOOKS since my last blog post! All of you book clubbers know that we have had a steady influx of new reading material over the past months and lots to talk about at our weekly meetings. As always, I love to hear your suggestions and requests and enjoy seeing your artwork on the ends of our bookshelves :) I also thought I would post a very belated photo from our book club Christmas party:

It's hard to believe we are getting close to Easter already!  

So, as we discussed at last week's meeting, the Newbery Award winner this year is a book    called The One and Only Ivan, which I just purchased and it is still available to be signed out if anyone is interested.

The story is told from the perspective of Ivan, a gorilla, who does not really miss his life in the wild until a new baby elephant enters his life and he begins to realize what he might be missing.  (Or at least that is what I am getting from the reviews I've read - I haven't read the book yet!)  

For those of you who don't come to book club - you may not always see the newest books because they are snapped up by the book club students first!  Keep checking those shelves over the encyclopedias for new titles, and never hesitate to ask me if we have a title you are after in our library!  I can put you on a waiting list if we do, and if I we don't already have it and I think it would be a good addition, I will put it on my "to order" list!  

Book Club News

A big thanks to Lilly for her delightful reading in German and English at Junior Book Club yesterday - and a talking cat story - perfection! I never cease to be amazed by our Rivier students. Senior Book Club will proceed as usual tomorrow (Thursday) at 12:05 and I do have a few new books to share with you. Quinn showed me this funny video last night with adults acting out scenarios told by children and it sort of reminded me a little bit of when we had worked on the "travelling story" years ago in our book clubs. Maybe it is the complete randomness of where the story goes that made me think of it! I'll also post the covers of a few of the new books that will be out on the shelves over the next few days. Those of you who enjoy graphic novels will want to look for Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (author of Ghostopolis and Bad Island>) Older students who are fans of Sarah Dessen might be interested in Susane Colasanti's So Much Closer, the story of a girl who uproots her life to follow a boy she believes is her soulmate but ends up learning something about herself... The Mark of Athena and The Rise of Nine are both the latest installments in popular series, and The Goddess Girls have an in-between "super special" called The Girl Games. Just ask me if you don't see any of these titles on the shelves and we will add your name to the waiting list!

Hey...Where's My Hobbits?

Friday Fun Time! I can't resist the marginally literary version of gangnam style for the loopy library. True fans of The Lord of the Rings will appreciate the second version more, I am sure! Enjoy your weekend! What would really happen:

Book Club Suggestions?

We had another great junior book club meeting on Tuesday - thank you for keeping up with the excellent attendance! I appreciate your input re: our group reading of a novel for this year. As you know, my suggestion this week was Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris.  I'll post the cover below to refresh your memories .  I am wondering how many of you have read Once Upon A Marigold?  That might be another title to consider by the same author.  So, as we discussed, you could add suggestions in the comments under this post and we will try to come to some agreement at a future meeting.

You might have noticed the display of Snow Willow Award Winner/Nominee Books in the library.  I have tried to tag each book with the year in which it was nominated (in case you are wondering what those pink things sticking out of the covers are!)  You still have time to vote for this year's nominees if you read three of the 2012 books by February 28.  Have a look at the poster by my desk.

Senior Book Club will meet tomorrow, Thursday at 12:05 as usual in the library.

It's Library Week!

Time to celebrate ME! (JK) To start the week we were fortunate to have a very special guest in our library! Vader wandered down with Mrs. Mengell to do a little reading (chewing) and here are a few of the photos for you to enjoy. He really is just too adorable!

Vader's opinion: Dewey the Library Cat - 2 paws down; Marley and Me - 2 paws up.

Book Club Meetings

Good Morning! As you hopefully heard at assembly, Junior Book Club will be meeting at 12:05 in the library today. We had talked about the possibility of doing a "pass-it-on" reading of one book with a group discussion and as I have thought about book ideas all week I have tentatively settled on Holes by Louis Sachar.  It's not too long, it's funny, and I love the way the twisting storylines all weave together in the end.  Have a look at this little summary and see what you think.  I am very open to your ideas for other books! Senior Book Club will meet Thursday at 12:05 as usual.

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”

― F. Scott Fitzgerald  

I discovered this quotation over on "Goodreads" this morning and thought I would share it to start our Thursday.  Senior Book Club will meet today at 12:05 in the library.  I am hoping more of you are able to make it today - I am looking forward to catching up!  Also, I can't wait to share what I have been reading!

Tristen, if you still check in on occasion I know you will appreciate that image!  The Fault In Our Stars by John Green is an amazing book.  I am almost finished reading it, but I don't want to let it go - you know how it is.  Let me know if you are interested in a story that will RIP YOUR HEART OUT!  (Figuratively speaking, of course.)

Tuesday Inspiration

We had a great Junior Book Club meeting at lunch today with a wonderful turnout. I look forward to hearing more of your reflections and ideas next week! As some of you begin to prepare for variety night (exciting!) I thought I would share this video I stumbled upon to remind all of us how fortunate we are. I know it's a little long, but it is worth the time!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back everyone and welcome to all of our brand new students!  I hope you are all settling in well to this school year and have had a chance to enjoy the library space in some way.  

Now for a bit of general library information and manners:  For those of you who ARE new and for returning students, a reminder that we ask that you observe the same rules around the library computers that you do in the computer lab upstairs - use them only for schoolwork and keep even your water bottles away from that area. 

I try to make it back down to the library at lunch by around 12:05 (as long as I am not delayed getting upstairs at the beginning of noon hour) so you are welcome to spend time doing homework, reading, or attending one of our book clubs. I do ask that you refrain from a)playing tag in the library or b)playing hide and seek in the library or c)even coming in to randomly mess up the books on the shelves. These sorts of activities drive librarians crazy and will earn you my angry/crazy librarian look and you may be asked to spend your lunch hour elsewhere. Just be respectful of the fact that many students come to the library to work and/or read AND I am trying to get new books ready for everyone to enjoy! 

We have had our first meetings for both Junior and Senior Book Clubs. Junior Book Club will meet on Tuesdays at 12:05 and Senior Book Club on Thursdays at 12:05. You do not need to attend every meeting to be a member - just be there when you are able. I realize that we will have conflicts with Jazz Choir and that is fine.

Many of you have already enjoyed the new look of the shelf ends this year!  I thought it would be fun to cover them with chalkboard and so far it's been a hit.  I think I will keep erasing at least every Monday and let you start fresh - just keep your messages and artwork appropriate!  
For Friday fun, here's a video made in a library with a much larger staff to clean up afterwards! Never try this at Rivier, please!

Spring Has Sprung - Let's Enjoy It!

Junior Book Club Members have suggested to me that we should hold our next meeting outdoors and I think that  is a great idea! So, if the weather permits next Tuesday we will meet in the courtyard - shall we say at 11:40 and have our lunch together? Listen for an announcement Tuesday morning to confirm the details, please.

Now, I really enjoyed reading this post at Reading Rants which discusses some classic books that students might still find good, interesting reads. Take a look at the coolest classics you never even heard of and see what you think.  I believe we have all but one of these books in our library, so just ask me if you would like to try them out!

And just a reminder for those of you who are still hanging on to books from months ago:

Snoop around Shmoop!

I just couldn't resist adding this image from Shmoop.com.  You know I love the lolcats and they have a whole section of famous quotations translated into lolcat - can life get any better?  Some of you may have already used this website for homework help, but I thought I would feature it because it really appeals to me for its sense of humour, for the fact that it does not do your work for you, but guides you through your frustration, and it covers many of the novels and plays that we study here at Rivier.  It even has a career section for you to browse through.  Admittedly, it is an American website, but that can be useful if you are considering a U.S. university and looking at those SAT exams!  So, if you are stuck in ANY of your subjects, give shmoop a look (they even have a music section with all kinds of songs and lyrics interpretations).  It's a fun site to explore and you might alleviate some homework stress!
And now my video for today:  Because Quinn performed this Gotye song on the weekend, it has been on my mind lately and I was amused to find a choir version of it.  Not exactly library related, but here you go:

New Books Will Abound in May!

After a LONG wait, brace yourselves for an influx of great new books scheduled to arrive throughout the month of May! I will be processing as fast as I can to give you an opportunity to enjoy these titles before the end of the school year (can you BELIEVE how fast it is approaching?!) A few of the much-anticipated sequels to your favourites are coming out along with a couple of new series I've ordered. As always, I have taken your suggestions into consideration when purchasing! Here's a little teaser of one of the new books on its way to us right now: Check back for more updates on what is new and exciting in our library collection! Junior Book Clubbers will meet today at 12:05, although we have nothing new for show and tell yet ;) Senior Book Club will get together Thursday as usual unless you have other commitments.

April Showers of Great Books!

It has been a long time!  Those of you who are in our book clubs will know that we have had a regular influx of new books although they are usually snapped up quickly by book club members before they make it to the shelves!  I was just having a look at teenreads and noticed that they have posted the 2012 Teen Choice Book of the Year List - check it out here.  We do have several of the titles they list already and I have plans to order more.  If you see any books that you REALLY, REALLY want us to have, please let me know!
And,  in honour of our upcoming Easter break here's a little chuckle for you:

Check out Scott Westerfeld!

Kennedy in grade eleven just reminded me of the awesomeness of Scott Westerfeld! She is currently reading the Leviathan series and enjoying it very much.  Book two is Behemoth, and book three is scheduled for release in August, I think.  Check out his website here Scott Westerfeld and learn more about all of his writing as well as test out all of the cool gadgets.
Also, for the grade 12's, if you are unhappy with your initial choice for your Canadian author assignment, be sure to come back to me!  I have another order coming in this week and have picked up a few more titles over the weekend.  You still have time to make a switch - there's no need to stick with a book you're not enjoying!

So cool!

As much as I like e-readers, you can't do this with them!




I'm looking forward to Junior Book Club today at lunch and (if you aren't too busy studying for upcoming exams) we will have Senior Book Club on Thursday as usual!

New year, new things!

Welcome back, everyone!  Kennedy just showed me a new website today (well, new to me, although I think I have stumbled upon it before) and I've added it to my "useful links."  It's called goodreads and has lots of great features like suggesting books based on what you've enjoyed in the past and contests you can enter (even when you live in Canada!)  Take the time to poke around a bit;  you might find it useful if you are an avid reader!

Next, I finished reading Divergent over the holidays and I LOVED it!  So did my 13-year-old, Charlie.  The sequel, Insurgent will be out in May and I can hardly wait.  Thanks for the recommendation Hira!  I also read Stephen King's new book 11/22/63 which was amazing, but a little too mature for our library!  Also 849 pages, so a bit lengthy for some students - you need to focus on your schoolwork!

If all goes well this week, Senior Book Club will meet on Thursday at 11:40 as usual and then we will get back to our regular schedule with Junior Book Club meeting next Tuesday as we normally do.  Listen for announcements.

It's Christmas Carol Time!

Good luck to all of you performing in tonight's Christmas Concert!  I'm looking forward to watching the performances - Quinn tells me there's even a choir number I didn't already hear at City Hall Friday. On the Christmas theme, this video is a little blast from our family past. Quinn says she is slightly traumatized by how frequently the Jingle Cats cassette tape was played (by me) at Christmas time in our household. It is, in fact, playing in the background of most of our home videos of her childhood. Anyway, here's a little clip for nostalgia's sake.

We did receive a few new books in the library thanks to Sr. Zelie's Scholastic "bonus points," so be sure to check out the display shelves as I'll be displaying them this week.

Get Christmas Crafty

For those of you who enjoy making some of your own Christmas gifts, here is another pretty cool idea I came across on the Martha Stewart website. This woman has also published a book called
P.S. I Made This with lots of other easy ideas to try your hand at.  She also makes those recycled t-shirt scarves I posted a link to in a previous post.  So if you are short on cash you can still get busy and make some really cute gifts!

Or you can make the easiest scarf EVER!  And it's cute - and she even has one for her dog!

Giving thanks!

A few weeks ago, I was the recipient of a beautiful shoe ornament left by an anonymous person on my desk.  By the tone of the lovely note accompanying it, I strongly suspect Sister Mary although she has still not confessed.  Anyway, thank you to my secret Santa and to all of you who leave me such uplifting notes and treats throughout the year - they are appreciated!  Here is my new ornament on the Christmas tree:

And I just have to show all of you the gorgeous fan Nanami gave me on my birthday!  (Although I think I have it backwards now that I look at the photo).  Of course I had to pose it with shoes :)   Thank you for your thoughtfulness and the letter.  Senior Book Club - the surprise birthday party was awesome!  Harshina, that ice cream that's not really ice cream is delicious!  Thank you for all of the trouble you went to celebrate me getting even older!  Rebecca and Nicole - I am still enjoying the flowers; Nicole and Cassidy, the chocolate was great - and all of the rest of you who made my day special - a huge thank-you!

In honour of Katniss...

I think I found my shoes for the opening of the Hunger Games movie! What do you think?

 They're new from Prada for Spring 2012.  If I start saving now, maybe I could be the "Librarian on Fire."   We all have our dreams.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Let the games begin! ...Almost.

Thanks to my period 6 study girls for making me aware of the new Hunger Games trailer today! Even though we must wait until March for the movie :( I am very, very excited for this production and am SO glad I finally took the time to read this series! Any of you who have not yet read it, I will just say, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!" Do you enjoy romance? Do you enjoy a bit of science fiction? Do you enjoy teenage angst? Do you enjoy thrillers, mystery, edge-of-your-seat action? Did you answer "yes" to any of these questions? Hmmm? Then you will LOVE these books! Have a look at the trailer and tell me you're not interested!

And for those of you who have read the books, does the movie look the way you imagined? I like how the Capitol people look kind of wacky and I adore the actor they chose for Gale. Even Peeta is starting to grow on me now that I've watched this a few times.

Watch the interview, read the book!

With the movie release coming up soon, I thought you might be interested in this little clip of Brian Selznick discussing The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  Let me know if you are interested in either this book or his latest, Wonderstruck.

Get Creative!

I hope everyone had fun yesterday!  Now that November is here, maybe it's time to turn your thoughts to making Christmas gifts.  I know that a few of you have already shared some of your crafty ideas with me and today Camille was telling me about the recycled t-shirt scarves she saw when she was out shopping.  Apparently they are selling like hotcakes.  Of course I had to google them and, what do you know, there is a simple way to make them yourself.  Have a look here on the ette studios website and then get busy making scarves for all of the people on your Christmas list!  Just don't cut up your siblings' t-shirts without permission.
And if scarves aren't your thing, you can check out our other books for knitting, crochet, or even old-school macrame ideas.  Remember - the best gifts are homemade!

Plan your future!

Many of you in the senior grades have been in the library looking for information about universities and other post-secondary institutions.  Some of you are understandably confused about the many options facing you as you prepare to take the next step in your lives.  I thought I would post a reminder about this website available through our school division, providing many resources for students of all ages.  Please have a look - you may find some enlightenment!

Pursue Online

I hope this helps a little bit.

October Update

As most of you know, we have settled into our routine of Junior Book Club on Tuesdays and Senior Book Club on Thursdays unless announced otherwise.  Please feel free to approach me with any suggestions you might have for how we can improve or add to our enjoyment of either group (as long as it does not involve me bringing a snack every week!)
We are expecting a very large Scholastic order this month, so there will be an exciting new group of books for you leading up to CHRISTMAS!! Can you believe we are already approaching the holidays? Please keep the book requests coming in - you know I love to buy what you like to read!  And to assist you in expanding your reading horizons, I am adding another link for you:
Teen Reads Ultimate Reading List
They have many great book reviews and keep up-to-date on all of the latest teen fiction.  It's a great site to browse around - they even have contests to enter.
Good luck to all of the variety night performers!  I am looking forward to enjoying the show this evening!

Check out your book orders!

Sr. Zelie appeared with the Scholastic book order forms today, so be sure to have a look to see if anything appeals to you. I know many of you like to build your own book collection, but if you have suggestions for titles you would like to see added to the library be sure to let me know!
I was telling one of our new students what a pleasure it has been to have so many new faces in Junior Book Club - you have all had such great contributions to make and I am so excited that we already have some of your favourite books here at Rivier! Hopefully together we can build an even better library!
I am continuing to catalogue some new books every day so check the centre shelves when you visit the library .  Some of those titles and series include: The Boy Sherlock Holmes series by Shane Peacock - visit   The Boy Sherlock Holmes Website .  The first book in the series is called Eye of the Crow.  For those of you interested in steampunk, we have another new series , the Clockwork Century by Cherie Priest beginning with the book Boneshaker - check out her blog at The Clockwork Century.

 Many more exciting books to come and I welcome your continued input!  Remember I am not in the library Fridays so save your book exchanges for Monday please.

Friday Inspiration...

My sister-in-law posted this video on facebook this morning and I thought I would share it with all of you today. Some of you may have listened to Nick's inspirational talks before, but his message is so important that I just had to share it again. Have a great weekend!

New Books!

As you may have noticed, there are many crisp new books being added to our collection as quickly as I can get them out to the display shelves! I will be trying to remember my librarything password also so that I can update the little gadget to the right of the blog to circulate some of the new additions on here also. Welcome to all of you who have joined either of our Book Clubs! As you have discovered, one of the perks is being among the first to see the brand new books before anyone else in the school and having first dibs on signing them out! The rest of you might see your friends with a book you would like to read and may certainly come to the library to ask me to be put on the reserve list for that title. Here's a peek at an author discussing a new series we will soon have on our shelves:

100 Years Of Style In 100 Seconds‎ Courtesy Of The Westfield Shopping Centre - Fashionist

You know how I love shoes, so I thought just for fun I would share this fashion video while I am busy catching up with all of the cataloguing of new books that were put aside while we packed and unpacked the library!

Let's Start Book Club!

First of all, here's a peek at what I've been busy doing in my spare time for the past few days!  My cousin was married on Saturday (in Saskatoon) and my gift to her was her wedding cake.  

Now that I've shared a little of my after-hours life with you, I think we should start up our book clubs again this week.  I am thinking Tuesdays for Juniors and Thursdays for Seniors, but let me know if you have other preferences.  Listen for announcements to confirm times and days.

Almost Ready For the Big Reveal...

Well, the books are mostly in their new places and the library is looking great!  Soon it will be time to welcome all of you in for the new year.  I feel as though I've missed out on these first days down in my "isolation chamber" while I've been busily unpacking!  Thank goodness Sister Zelie has been faithfully helping in her spare time - she is a trooper!  Hopefully we will be opening the library doors sometime next week - cross your fingers that all continues to go smoothly.
In the meantime, I thought I would post a video of  Maggie Stiefvater, author of Shiver and Linger discussing the release of the third book in her trilogy Forever.  Sound like they are going to be making this series into a movie, too!

Summer Reading and Stuff...

Well I hope everyone has had a great summer and enjoyed a few good books!  I intended to read MANY more Rivier library books than I have actually made it through BUT I did read the next (4th?) in the Gone  series.  This one is called Plague and oh my goodness things are not improving in the FAYZ!  Those of you who are following this series will be anxious to get your hands on this one when we get back to school!  And once again, sadly, no resolution - but this time I was prepared as I knew I wasn't reading the final book.  (Remember last time I thought I was reading the last book of a trilogy and was waiting expectantly for the story to neatly wrap up!)

My son Charlie has devoured the entire (9 book) Ranger's Apprentice series and forced me to order the tenth book.  He assures me that it was a satisfying conclusion to that epic adventure, although I have not read those books myself. Book club students will be happy to have that one available immediately upon our return in August.


I have been busy working on flowers for my cousin's wedding in September.  She has chosen to have a bouquet of brooches- some from family, some new, some from garage sales -  and I've mixed them in with silk flowers.  I think it turned out kind of cool (see photo below).
She's going to have a gorgeous, sparkling wedding!   I should have made Quinn change into a coordinating shirt to model the bouquet!


Speaking of kind of crafty stuff, I noticed on facebook that Caitlin actually made one of the recycled book purses - way to go!  Quinn and I tried it out too as a keepsake for Yuki and Hiroko and it was a fun project.  Savour the last couple of weeks of holidays - think back to the end of June when the whole summer was stretched out in front of us - WHERE HAS IT GONE?!!!  Ah well, as Douglas Adams advises in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, "Above all don't panic!"

It's Been A Long Time!

Well, as most of you who visit the library know, I have been busy (and a little stressed) trying to prepare for the big move of ALL of our books at the end of June in anticipation of the great carpet removal. Thanks to all of you girls for bearing with me during my rants, occasional (ha ha) despair, and the disappointment of no longer being able to get your hands on our amazing collection of reading material! But wait, you have been getting a few books, haven't you? It seems that certain titles while neglected and left to languish on the shelves for decades become irresistible once they are destined for the recycling/donation bin! Take a look at a few of the book club girls "rescuing" some Reader's Digest Condensed Books:

For more ideas on what to do with those treasures you've saved have a look at this:


So, now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this whole MOVE THE ENTIRE LIBRARY! project, my neck is relaxing just ever so slightly and I am finding I don't have a headache every single minute, which is awesome! Thank you so much to those of you who have shared little laughs and pick-me-ups throughout the days - they have been bright spots more than you know! Caitlin shared this video last week and I just want to re-post because I LOVE THESE BOYS!!! I showed Quinn as soon as I got home that evening. Caitlin had me watch their Disney medley, but I think I might post a different one - all excellent and so good and FUNNY!

Dare I say this is what I hope for when we are Co-ed? ;)

Lastly, I just have to:

Skeleton Creek Book One Review

Hi girls! Today we are fortunate to welcome back our guest book reviewer, Tristen! So, without further delay, I will turn the blog over to her capable hands.

Skeleton Creek written by Patrick Carman is possibly one of the creepiest books I've ever read following right behind Coraline.
The novel revolves around Ryan and Sarah as they begin to uncover their town's ghastly history, and their communication through the internet as they are forbidden to see each other by their parents after an accident almost kills Ryan.
The novel is in diary form with entries written by Ryan; it's quite easy to familiarize yourself with him through the thoughts he writes down and observations he makes of the people who are involved with the secret being kept from them.
He also provides a website and password to access online videos posted by his friend Sarah. These videos are essential to the story's plot and could be a disadvantage to those who don't have access but adds to the experience of the story to those who do. The combination with the story read and videos watched gives you the eerie feeling that you didn't buy the book in store but stumbled across it and involved yourself with something that forces you onto the border of reality and the unknown.
The novel is a quick read and is fast paced but is done so that it doesn't feel rushed. I know future readers will love the interaction needed to complete it and will have a friend close by as they watch the videos.
I loved it and it kept me looking over my shoulder and questioning what I thought was real and what wasn't, and hopefully it will have the same effect on you. It receives a full five out of five stars.

Thanks for another great review, Tristen! Look for Skeleton Creek and the sequel, Ghost in the Machine on our library shelves (if you dare!)

Sneak Peak at the next book in the series:

Author Interview with Patrick Carman - Skeleton... by expandedbooks

New Spring Books!

Hi Girls!
For fans of Sarah Dessen, she has a new book coming out next month - watch her talking about it here:

And yes, we do have all of her other books, they are just usually signed out all of the time! Let me know if you would like to put a hold on any of her titles (some are for 10-12 only.)

Enter to Win!

For those of you who don't notice comments beneath posts, check out this link: Let's Talk Tobacco.  It's a contest sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society where you can make a video (less than 3 minutes) with your own unique twist.  Entry deadline is April 15 and they have some great prizes.  Visit the website for some more ideas!  I know there are LOTS of very creative minds here - and thanks to "anonymous" for once again bringing something fun to our attention ; )

Tea Time

"The tea hour is the hour of peace.  Strife is lost in the hissing of the kettle - a tranquilizing sound, second only to the purring of a cat."   Agnes Reppelier
Best quote of the year so far from the Susan Branch calendar on my wall at home - and considering our love of library tea time (and the occasional visiting library cat!) I thought it was appropriate to start this post.
    I can't believe it's April already!  We have some amazing new books arriving, but as I've shared with the book club girls I am not sure how long the new stuff will keep coming out onto the shelves as we will be preparing for some changes during the summer and that will be consuming much of my time and energy.  Keep your eyes open for the next few weeks, at least.
    Now many of you may have seen this video already, but Bryanna shared it with me and I really, really liked what this girl had to say.  In fact she made so much sense that I immediately asked if she was a librarian - ha ha.   Anyway, if you are a teenage girl, you should have a look:  

Senior Book Club Tuesday at 11:40 as usual girls!

Most Incredible Footwear!

Okay - The most awesome footwear/legwear of March spotted today in the library AND NOT WORN BY ME!!!   Thanks to Yuki for letting me photograph her leg!  And for sharing her awesome fashion sense

with all of us - very much appreciated!

In actual library news, we have TONS of new books coming in, but be patient, please or you will have a "loopy librarian" for real.  As you may have noticed, the library is in a bit of disarray as we start to prepare for summer changes, but I will keep trying to get the new stuff out to you for as long as I am able.
Finally - Junior Book Club tomorrow (Thursday) at 11:40 - be there or be square;)
Senior Book Club Tuesday as usual!

Happy International Women's Day!

Hi girls! Those of you who spent time in the library today already talked about International Women's Day with me - but I also saw a bit of a news story tonight about a video done by James Bond actor Daniel Craig (apparently causing some controversy, although I missed the "why" part because Quinn just HAD to switch back to Glee.) Anyway, I had to look up the video and I think it is quite powerful in its message. Your generation still has some work to do! Have a look and see what you think:


And have a look at this website for Plan Canada's Because I am a Girl - lots of interesting, Canadian information on their site!

Another reason why I love my job!

Some of you may have already seen the stunning picture (of a shoe, of course) Tristen gave me before the break - it is absolutely gorgeous!  I am continually amazed by the talent within the walls of Rivier!  Well, I had it framed and it will be on display in the library this week and then will have its permanent home on my living room wall.
Tristen, what an awesome gift - I will treasure it always and think of you every time I look at it in years to come!  Thank you so much.  You are such a talented artist and I am so proud to have one of your "early works" hanging on my wall!

An awesome young woman!

I was looking at a few blogs and websites last night and came across Hey! Teenager of the Year by Australian Steph Bowe.  She just turned 17 this month and wrote Girl Saves Boy when she was 16!  From the summary and reviews I read, it sound like a really good book and I think it would be a great addition to our library.  Look it up and see what you think.  I'm also going to post a video of an interview with the author because it is quite an accomplishment to write and publish a novel when you're still a teenager.

I'm also adding some links to more blogs and websites under my "useful links" so have another look if you haven't checked lately. (They're located under the shoe hat photo on the right side.)
Finally, junior book club will be cancelled this week due to the teacher appreciation lunch on thursday. We'll just have more to talk about next week, girls!

Changes, changes...

Well, all of you who have spent time in the library know that I don't exactly love change. However, we are facing a pretty major one here girls! Some of you are probably excited and some of you may feel a sense of loss. Remember that sometimes the changes we fear the most turn out to be some of the greatest things that have happened in our lives when we look back on them. Time to embrace an exciting future together - and remember we are in this together!
Here's a kind of inspiring little clip from liveyourdreammentors:


One more video on the theme of life changes in general - I thought this was quite poignant in terms of how it addresses the fears of many young people starting out on their journeys in life. Again, it is a reminder that you are never alone in any way.

See you on Monday!