*Corrado Library at Central Catholic High School*: New Materials in the Collection

 

Taking Action is an important part of working for Social Justice, and we've seen the power of Students (and others) taking Action many times this year, both in the news, and in our community.

 

Action taken in the name of Feminism for and by women: The Radical Element: 12 stories of Debutants & Other Dauntless Girls,  and Here We Are: 44 voices, write, draw, and speak about Feminism for the Real World both contain multiple stories that illustrate (sometimes literally illustrate)  the realities of being a woman.  

 

Some acts for justice can be small-scale and self published... like 'zines (Whatcha' Mean, What's a 'zine?)  and, some of you may not know that Carrie Brownstein didn't come out of "Nowhere" to be on  Portlandia, she has also been a member of the Riot Grrrl band Sleater-Kinney for almost 25 years. Her memoir Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is now a part of our collection.  Sarah Jamila Stevenson's novel The Latte Girls tells the story of young women who have the moxie to start a nationwide multi-racial women's movement. The Astonishing Color of After, by Emily X. R. Pan, is the magical/realistic story of Asian/White, American/Taiwanese, Leigh Chen Sanders' search for her late mother's spirit. Sonia Manzano (who is more than just the woman who played "Maria" on Sesame Street) also pens a tale of young latinx women acting for justice in 1969 New York.

 

Father Gregory Boyle, S.J. is a man whose life is devoted to action.  The library already has copies of his books Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Choir, but we have also added both a book (G-Dog and the Homeboys) and a documentary (G-Dog)  about his work with Los Angeles based "Homeboy Industries," the largest gang intervention program in the world.

 

Justice is not just a system of laws and punishment, though the "Justice" "System" often results in prison terms.  Find a story of one man's experiences in Shaka Senghor's memoir Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death and Redemption in an American Prison.  Justice can be sought in ways that are not retributive, but instead are Restorative, involving mediation with Victim and Offender. See  The Big Book of Restorative Justice for ways to build peace instead of punishment.

 

The Oregon Battle of the Books list for 2018 is complete, and the library now has copies of all books: Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys,  Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, and Heist Society, by Ally Carter  join  The Hate U Give,  Piecing Me Together and  5 others in our collection.  Ms. Anderson heads up the OBOB crew, so see her if you're interested in some more summer reading. 

 

Those of us interested in education, diversity, and justice  will have some great professional development reading options from "Rethinking Schools" soon (thanks Koty!), but have access to  Start Where You Are, But Don't Stay There: understanding diversity, opportunity gaps, and teaching in today's classrooms, by H. Richard Milner  right now! (and, just in case math teachers think that reading and thinking about social justice isn't related to their curricula  (not our math teachers... just other ones out in the world )) here's another plug for Rethinking Mathematics: teaching social justice by the numbers.

If you traveled to the Latinx conference last month with David Blue, and enjoyed Francisco Jimenez (and can't read Spanish to take advantage of the copies the library already had), we have his Breaking Through, and Taking Hold (in English). If you're already missing National Poetry Month and want a Novel-in-Verse about being a young latina poet (with a cover blurb by Jason Reynolds, co author of All-American Boys), have a look at The Poet X.

 

 

If you have the feeling that reading about Acts of Justice is in your future... you have good instincts, but if you'd also like to read in other directions, we have new options for you as well.

Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World   and Emotional Success: the power of gratitude, compassion and Pride (David DeSteno) both embody characteristics of those who act for justi... wait, I said we were going to look at other options....   Thornhill, is a beautifully illustrated mystery novel.  El Deafo, by CeCe Bell, is an award winning (Newberry Honor) graphic memoir about growing up deaf.  If you want an off-beat tale of friendship, try Guy in Real Life, and if you want a modern day re-telling of Beowulf set in a high school  try Grendel's Guide to Love and War.  For a new voice in courtly political fantasy intrigue, Dhonielle Clayton's  The Belles has been widely publicized and praised.

 

All these, plus the third books in  highly acclaimed series (Tool of War, by Paolo Bacigalupi; Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson), A Modern History of Japan (because our current books of history on Japan are very not Modern), short stories from pulitzer prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Refugees) some scary movies, and books on:  Hermits (The Stranger in the Woods), North Korea (The Girl with 7 Names),  a novel by a CCHS Parent given to the library by her daughter as a Mother's Day gift in her honor (The Girl from OTO, by Amy Maroney), a faculty request (A Still and Quiet Conscience), and Jellyfish (Spineless). What'd I miss?

 

So, take the action of visiting your library space, and Just Read.  Here's the whole list.