CHESS Christian Library

Once again, it would have been great if I had been keeping the blog current through these past few weeks, but the first quarter of school has been quite full and busy! So here's a fun peek into the library thus far in the year. 

The library is such a vibrant and dynamic place, and you can help keep it that way. The Scholastic Book Fair at CHESS runs from next Monday, November 9-November 12, and our profit go to the library fund, as it does each year. This is huge for us, so come out to get some great books AND support the CHESS library!

For more information, check out the Book Fair homepage. See you there!

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/chesschristianschool

This week I decided to feature some exciting new contemporary books! And then I realized that for a variety of reasons, it was going to be a tricky genre to tackle! So this week, I only have two recommendations, and I would love to hear from all of you about others in this genre you like!




The Doughnut Fix












This is so much fun, and at times (don't tell the kids!) even educational! Tris decides to open a doughnut shop, and realizes that he has to learn a few things about business, friendship, and family.

Reading Level: Lower School and Middle Grade Chapter Books

I know I already recommended some fantasy stories just a couple of weeks ago, but "Fantasy" is actually a broad term that includes a plethora of subgenres, and there are so many great books to choose from! This post is a hodge-podge of several of those, but all are delightful.


Brambleheart


I confess, I found this to be a slightly confusing mix of story elements - talking animals who live in a dump, and engage in artisan craftmanship, but also...there's a dragon? And a tiny dragon, at that! However, a certain young reader in my own family, who generally has great taste in books, found this exceedingly enjoyable. And it certainly is an escape into a very different world!

Reading level: Lower Grade Chapter Books.


The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart


I like dragon stories, and I love chocolate, so if you also find those enjoyable, you'll love this! A quirky and delicious tale.

Reading Level: Lower Grade and Middle Grade Chapter Books.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great




If you have an affinity for Arthurian tales, you might bristle at first at the liberties taken with this...but at the same time, you'll recognize the adventures immediately, and you might find the adaptations, with their happier conclusions and humorous twists, to be a fun way to introduce young readers to Lancelot and his fellow knights. That's my conclusion, at any rate. I was skeptical when I started, but heartily approving by the end. (Also it's quite funny!)

Reading Level: Lower Grade and Middle Grade Chapter Books.

The Lost Property Office



This has a slight Harry Potter feel - London, and a magical world of which our protagonist has a crucial place (but of which he was ignorant until about age 12, the age when the best adventures apparently start!). But while the elements of fantasy are still strong, Jack's "magic" actually stems from his synesthesia, which is a completely real thing, and quite fascinating.

Reading Level: Lower Grade and Middle Grade Chapter Books.


The Last Unicorn


In fantasy lore, unicorns have nothing at all to do with rainbows and cuteness. They are rare and beautiful, but incredibly meaningful and sometimes dangerous. And this one is the last. Perhaps! The quest of the Last Unicorn, and of the two human companions she brings along with her, is an adventure worth joining.

Reading Level: Upper Grades - Adult.


These are on order for the CHESS library, so they may not show up in the online catalog, but if you're interested in checking any out for the next library book pick-up day, send me an email! ameester@chesschristian.com.

I LOVE a good spy book, especially for carefree summer reading. Here are some great ones, for both boys and girls (and adults!) at just about every reading level.



Mac Undercover

 The Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor




Masterminds














Technically, this isn't a spy book...but there's some spying that goes on, as a group of friends from a "perfect" town discover that their lives aren't quite so perfect after all. It's definitely a page-turner that will have you reaching for the next book as soon as you finish!

Reading level: Middle Grade Chapter Books


Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls



Reading Level Upper School-Adult.

This year's summer reading program begins tomorrow! Sign your kids up HERE, and I'll email you what you need to start tracking their reading.

If they need some help deciding what to read, you may find something on the Book Lists, which are regularly being updated with new finds!

And if you can't find what you're looking for at your local library, don't forget there's always the option to place a hold from our library. We'll be adding new books throughout the summer, so you might find something new while browsing our online catalog.  Drive-thru pick up dates will be once a week and will be announced through email and Facebook. This week's pick up is Monday, June 1, from 1-3. Holds MUST be placed in advance- thanks!

Virtual Story Time will be posted via email and Facebook each Tuesday (no action required), and our high school book club will be meeting each Thursday morning via Zoom. There's still time to sign up and read with us!

Happy Reading!

-Mrs. Meester

Friends! I've been absent far too long, and it has been primarily because before the closure, the library had been such a bustling and active place, rather than that there wasn't anything to share. (See our Programs and Events page for more pictures of Library Week!)

Of course, for these last couple of months, we've all been home - which would seem to bode ill for library activity - and in this time, I have been reluctant to post simply because there have been so many free virtual resources offered by every organization imaginable. I haven't wanted to add to the noise, and I still don't intend to overwhelm you all with links and activities you don't need (and have probably already seen!). We did have a virtual story time each week, and while I can't link to all of those (for copyright reasons that will undoubtedly go back into full effect soon),  I have created a collection of the Beatrix Potter read-alouds, should you want them this summer - find them on our new Story Time page.



And now we are closing our school year, collecting books and saying good-bye in whatever ways we can. It not the year we had imagined, and these are not the good-byes we wanted to give! Even as we give thanks for God's provision in this time, and rejoice in the unexpected blessings we've discovered along the way, we are all looking forward to the day we can be together in person again, and the CHESS library is no exception to that desire.

In the meantime, we're going to do our best to continue to connect our students with great literature and to inspire contagious learning. Some of the ways we plan to do this are summer book clubs and a simple and fun summer reading program - so stay tuned for summer library news, coming very soon. There's hope ahead, dear friends - and lots of reading!


-Mrs. Meester

P.S. Get started on some summer reading with a family read-aloud! Here are some of my favorites - Read-Alouds