Award Winners

Come down to the School Library to see our display of recent “Award Winners.”

The Printz Award and the Alex Awards are significant honours to consider when adding title to a secondary school library collection. The Printz Award is given for excellence in young adult literature, while the Alex Awards are given to books written for adults but that have special appeal to young adults and teens.

The Printz Award is “for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.” (ALA) The 2021 Printz Award was given to Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri. In this autobiographical novel, middle-schooler Daniel, formerly Khosrou, tells his unimpressed and at times cruel classmates about his experience as an Iranian refugee.

Printz Honors were awarded to Apple (Skin to the Core) by Eric Gansworth; Dragon Hoops created by Gene Luen Yang; Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh; and We Are Not Free by Traci Chee.

The Alex Awards “are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.” (ALA) This year the Alex Awards were presented to the following titles:

· Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

· The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

· The Impossible First by Colin O’Brady

· Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

· The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony

· The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

· Plain Bad Heroines by emily m. danforth

· Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

· Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

· We Ride Upon Sticks: A Novel by Quan Barry

Find out more about all the other books and authors that were honoured with these very prestigious awards in the world of youth and children’s literature: ALA Youth Media Awards.

Asian Canadians

Asia is a big place. Really big. Today nearly 2 in 3 human beings live in Asia. That’s over 4 billion people. Asia is the biggest continent by area, divided into many regions and nearly 50 different countries.

Nearly 20% of Canadians trace their family heritage to Asia. Some are recent immigrants while some families have been here for generations. Canadians of Asian descent have brought a multitude of languages, beliefs, histories and cultural practices to contribute to Canada as we know it today.

During the month of May we will be celebrating the great contributions of Canadians of Asian Heritage to the development of our country. We will also look at the many contributions of Asian culture, art, food, history and more. We will see that Asia is an incredibly diverse place and has made incredibly diverse contributions to Canada.

Come down to the School Library to see some of our titles on display for Asian Heritage Month. Here are just a few:

May is Asian Heritage Month

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Learn more about Canadians who trace their roots from Asia. Learn about famous Canadians of Asian heritage. Learn about how Asian culture has helped to build Canada into the country that we love.

Asia is an enormous continent filled with billions of people, dozens of countries, hundreds of languages, and innumerable cultural variations. Millions of Canadians trace roots to such East Asian countries as China, Korea, and Japan. Millions of Canadians have their heritage from South Asia too, sometimes considered its own “Sub-Continent,” from such places as India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Many Canadians also trace roots to Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam, and to Western Asian nations such as Lebanon and Syria.

source: Radio Canada International

Check back as we post more on Asian Heritage throughout the month of May, including a new book display of library resources related to Asian Heritage in Canada.

Ali the Conscientious Objector

On this date in 1967, Muhammed Ali was arrested for refusing his conscription into the US military for the Vietnam War. Ali was the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, and arguably the most famous athlete in the world, perhaps of all time. Yet later that day he was stripped of his titles and effectively banned from boxing for more than 3 years, at the height of his athletic prowess.

Ali was already a powerful symbol for African-American Civil Rights. His decision to be a conscientious objector, refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War, elevated his status in the US and around the world as a counter-cultural icon. He stated, “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?” (source) Ali would eventually box again, regaining his championship belts, but it is his status as a champion of peace and of human rights that make him a true hero.

Find out more:

Muhammad Ali and Vietnam- The Atlantic

Why Ali Refused to Fight in the War- Washington Post

Muhammad Ali refuses Army induction- History.com

Muhammad Ali… – The Undefeated

The Ali Center

Chernobyl Disaster

DAVID HOLT, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On this date 35 years ago, in what is now the Ukraine, what was then part of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl Disaster began. This was the world’s worst nuclear power plan accident, resulting in incredible environmental destruction, hundreds of lives lost in the immediate disaster, and untold thousands of humans deaths as long term consequences unfolded over the years.

Find out more:

International Atomic Energy Agency

UNSCEAR (United Nations)

Chernobyl: National Geographic

World Health Organization

United Nations Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance

Let’s Talk Science

YaleEnvironment360

Wired: Nuclear Power

Greenpeace

Is nuclear power a feasible alternative to fossil fuels? The contribution of the burning of fossil fuels to the crisis of climate change must be accounted for, but are the risks associated with nuclear power too great? Check out the websites and books listed above, and then look for more resources to dig deeper to find out where scientists stand on these issues. Get informed and be a positive part of the decisions that will affect our future.

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. There are many ways to celebrate and observe this important day. Perhaps you can check out some of these books we have the look at Planet Earth. Find out more about our life on this planet, including ecosystems, climate change, and threats to our environment on this, our only home in the universe.

Earth Day

April 22 is Earth Day.

Although it is pretty insignificant in relation to the entire universe, less than a grain of sand in the ocean of space, the Earth is pretty important to us– it is the only home we have.  All human beings should celebrate the Earth, and protect it.

EnnyIzzy123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Celebrate Earth Day tomorrow and every April 22. And celebrate life on Earth every day. Earth is the only planet we’ve got.

Find out more:

School Library FAQ 5

School Library FAQ 5: “Can I borrow Audiobooks?”

Click on “Leave a Comment” below to share your answer. Check back for a future School Library FAQ to see our answer. We will also have a new question or two for you.

In School Library FAQ 4 we asked, “Can I borrow magazines?”

Yes, you can borrow magazines from the school library. We have many magazines to choose from, including many for which we have a regular subscription.

Our most current magazines are on display on the periodical shelves, near the Zen Den. If you flip the display shelves up, you will see back issues that are also available for loan.

Click here to see a list of some of the magazines that we regularly subscribe to.

In addition, there are many online editions of magazines available through our district sponsored resources. Find out more about online access to magazines by clicking here.

Use the site menu or click here to go to our site FAQ page to see other Frequently Asked Questions.

Vaisakhi

Sikhs in Canada and around the world celebrate Vaisakhi. Since 1699 Vaisakhi has been a central Holy Day for Sikhs, who celebrate the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the “Ten Gurus” of Sikhism. 

The majority of Canadians who trace family connections to India are part of the Sikh faith, although Hinduism is the majority religion of India. Hindus in Canada and around the world also celebrate Vaisakhi.  Also rendered Baisakhi, the holiday has long been observed by Hindus as the  celebration of the solar New Year, and a harvest festival, for the people of the Punjab and other regions of north-west India.  In fact Indians and people of Indian heritage from many faiths, including Muslims, Christians and even non-religious people, as well as Sikhs and Hindus, celebrate Vaisakhi.

Vaisakhi is generally celebrated on April 13 or 14, although some sources also suggest April 15 for 2021.  Vaisakhi Parades in Canada are traditionally held on the nearest Saturday. 

Vaisakhi parades and other gatherings and festivals have long been a highlight of the year for the Sikh communities of Surrey, Vancouver and other parts of Canada. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of Vaisakhi parades in 2021.

source: surreyvaisakhiparade.ca
source: surreyvaisakhiparade.com

For more on Vaisakhi: