@ Shaker Library
The Library-School Connection:
Great Reads for Middle School
Students Are Now Easier to Find
It can be challenging to get middle school
students to read, whether for pleasure or
for school assignments. The first step is
to find books they will love that are also
appropriate for their developmental level.
The Library and Shaker Middle School
found a way to rise to the challenge. Teen
Librarian Audrey Jacobs collaborated with
Shaker Middle School Librarian Debra
Quarles to create a new list of books to
attract readers in grades seven and eight.
They worked together to select titles to
appeal to this age group with a variety of
interests, from the classic to the contemporary.
Books are available at both
libraries in their own special section and
are also available electronically through
the Library’s website.
Both librarians were committed
to establishing an enticing collection
that covered an array of interests and
reading abilities, without overwhelming
students with too many choices. Almost all
genres are represented, including graphic
novels, biographies, historical fiction,
fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction. In
support of Shaker Schools’ International
Baccalaureate (IB) focus, some titles will
transport the reader to a different part of
the world such as a kibbutz in Israel (Real
20 FALL 2018 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
Time by Pnina Kass) or a tiny village in
Malawi (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by William Kamkwamba).
The collection does not shy away
from challenging topics. For example,
All American Boys takes a close look at
how two teens, one black and one white,
grapple with a racial incident in their
community. The authors, Jason Reynolds
and Brendan Kiely, visited Shaker in
October to talk with students about the
book and its creation.
Visit the Library and browse
this exciting new collection—there’s
something for every middle school reader.
Opportunities for All
l 7 pm Thursday, October 4: The
Paradox of Change and the Path to
Inner Transformation, Main Library:
Life Coach John Pallotta will present a
workshop on how to make important
changes in life and share insights on
transformative change. Pallotta has worked
as a social worker and registered legal
guardian in the human services field for
35 years and has helped children, mothers
and infants, young adults, drug addicts,
and the mentally ill find better footing and
resources. Recently, he created a coaching
business to help others find individual
solutions to the problems they face in their
quest for improved health and happiness.
Register in advance at shakerlibrary.org or
by calling 216-991-2030.
l October 15-18:
Ikebana Display, Main
Library: The Library will
host the flower displays
of Shoko Morton and
her students in the
Sogetsu School of
Ikebana, an avant-garde
style of traditional
Japanese flower
arranging. Morton and
her students will create
the arrangements on
Monday morning and
they will be on display
throughout the week at Main Library.
l 7 pm Wednesdays, October
24-November 21: Story Writing
Workshop, Main Library: Joining a
writing group can offer insight and support
to help writers develop skills or to get
clarification about a story line from other
writers. This five-week writing workshop
will be led by Charlotte Cook, co-founder
of KOMENAR Publishing and author of
Adapting Sideways: How to Turn Your
Screenplay into a Publishable Novel.
A current story editor and Next
Generation Indie Book Award Judge,
Cook has facilitated writing workshops
that promote a safe and productive
environment. She has shepherded
numerous authors through the publication
process and has been a featured guest
and speaker at many writers groups and
conferences. She has been published in
Publishers Weekly, Moxie Magazine, and
the San Francisco Chronicle. The workshop
is limited to 16 writers; please register at
shakerlibrary.org or call 216-991-2030.
l 2 pm Sunday, November 4: Meet the
Author, Main Library: Meet Winifred Rule,
member of the Society for the Scientific
Study of Psychopathy and author of Born to
Destroy, the first instructional work on the
female psychopath, which is based on her
experiences living with two psychopaths.
Rule’s work has been featured in libraries
and curricula of major universities in the
United States and abroad.
Opportunities
for All
In Memoriam: Elise Newman
(1922-2018)
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?”
Elise Newman cited Robert Browning’s quote as being
one of the disciplines that defined her art. She passed
away August 5 at the age of 96 and is remembered
fondly as a creative artist who made the Library a
better place.
Almost 20 years ago, Elise Newman helped
the Library set up its Art Gallery on the Main Library
second floor. The Library had completed a renovation
funded through a bond issue and one exciting addition
was the art gallery wall. Elise stepped in and helped
launch the gallery and set up guidelines.
In 2007, she celebrated her 85th birthday with a
special exhibition of her works. Her art, Three Seasons
of Lisa’s Life, which hangs in the Main Library Teen
Center, was commissioned by the family of Lisa Pruett as a memorial to their daughter Lisa.
In 2015, Elise’s watercolor entitled, The Women, won the 16th Annual Barbara Luton Art
Competition and now hangs at Bertram Woods Branch. The Library is a better place because
of Elise and her art will continue to enhance the Library for years to come.
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