MVA Library Newsletter
February-March 2025
The Library is for Everyone! 💖
This newsletter is full of events and opportunities. We hope you read all the way to the end!
Thank you to the students (pictured) who volunteered to promote Club Odin library club at the Future Vikings Night.
This month the library will be celebrating:
Women's History Month
Freedom of Information Day - March 16
Library Calendar
3/3-4/7 - Emoji biography creative writing challenge
3/4 & 3/5 - Lunchtime read aloud - Barrio Rising
3/6 - Club Odin Lunch Meeting
3/7 - MVA Field Trip to Chicano Park
3/8 - Teen Writers Conference at CCA (not affiliated with MVA)
3/10 - Author Maria Aguila Visits the Library Period 1
3/10-3/31 - CYRM voting in the library
3/17-3/20 - Zine Making in the Library at Lunch
3/21 - Blind Date With a Book Challenge Ends
4/1 - CATE Student Writing Contest Due (not affiliated with MVA)
4/3 - Club Odin meeting at lunch
MVA Library Emoji creative writing challenge, March 2025
Can You Write a Biography for an Emoji?
A biography is an account of someone’s life, written by someone else. For this activity, you will be a biographer. Your task is to write the life story of someone else. In this case, you will write the life story of an emoji. The emoji does not need to be human!
Turn it in to Ms. Vattuone in the library via email, gina.vattuone@sweetwaterschools.org or a paper copy by April 7. Participating students will earn 5-Star points. This link provides you with information about the challenge.
The library now has a 3D printer available!
Javier has been busy helping me learn about 3D printing. We will soon be creating tutorials and protocols about how to 3D print here in the MVA library. For now, if you have an idea about something you would like to print, come and talk to me.
We want to use it to solve problems. What problem do you have that could be solved by a 3D print?
Problem - the old filament spools did not fit on new printer
Problem - our Othello game was missing 6 pieces
A cute keychain gift idea!
📚 3/4 & 3/5 - Lunch time Read Aloud - Barrio Rising
On Tuesday, March 4th and Wednesday, March 5 come to the library at lunch for a reading of the book Barrio Rising by Maria Aguila. Bring a friend and listen to the story. After, we will brain storm question we want to ask Ms. Aguila.
Remember that the author, Maria Aguila, is coming to MVA on Monday, March 10th. Be sure to sign up if you want to hear her speak.
Blind Date With a Book continues until March 21
Starting February 12th and ending March 21 Viking students have the opportunity to participate in the annual "Blind Date with a Book" challenge. Select a wrapped book. Read (at least) the first chapter. Get a review slip from the library or inside your book. Tell us your impression. Was it a match or no? Why? Write a minimum 3 sentence review. Submit your review to Ms. Martinez or Ms. Vattuone to earn a prize. Some reviews will be published in the April newsletter.
Rules:
* Reviews must use at least 3 full sentences.
* Reviews should be proof-read and use standard grammar & spelling.
* No limit on how many review you submit.
Read these 3 books and vote for a winner of The California Young Reader Medal before April 1
The California Young Reader Medal (CYRM) program encourages recreational reading of popular literature among the young people of our state. Since its inception in 1974, millions of California children have nominated, read, and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader Medal.
Young people recommend the titles of their favorite books for nomination, or teachers and librarians note repeatedly read or requested titles, and these are submitted to the California Young Reader Medal Committee. Members of the committee read the suggested books, discuss their merits and appeal to children, and then decide upon a well-balanced list of nominees. CRYM Voting ends April 1 and the winners will be announced May 1.
Students may read the books and vote now. We have a copy of each book in our library but you can also get them via your local public library, the Libby app or a local bookstore. Voting in the library will begin March 10 and end March 31.
This year the 3 nominees for Middle School Junior High are The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by (San Diego local author!) Sally J. Pla; What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski; and How To Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani.
CYRM is supported by the California Reading Association, the California Association of Teachers of English, California Library Association, and the California School Library Association.
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn By Sally J. Pla
Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel is a must-read for fans of Leslie Connor and Ali Standish. A Schneider Family Book Award winner!
Maudie always looks forward to the summers she spends in California with her dad. But this year, she must keep a troubling secret about her home life—one that her mom warned her never to tell. Maudie wants to confide in her dad about her stepdad's anger, but she’s scared.
When a wildfire strikes, Maudie and her dad are forced to evacuate to the beach town where he grew up. It’s another turbulent wave of change. But now, every morning, from their camper, Maudie can see surfers bobbing in the water. She desperately wants to learn, but could she ever be brave enough?
As Maudie navigates unfamiliar waters, she makes friends—and her autism no longer feels like the big deal her mom makes it out to be. But her secret is still threatening to sink her. Will Maudie find the strength to reveal the awful truth—and maybe even find some way to stay with Dad—before summer is over?
What Happened to Rachel Riley? Claire Swinarski
Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why. As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her What happened to Rachel Riley? With the entire eighth grade working against her, Anna dives headfirst into the evidence. Clue after clue, the mystery widens, painting an even more complex story than Anna could have anticipated. But there’s one thing she’s certain about, if you’re going to ask a complicated question, you better be prepared for the fallout that may come with the answer.
How to Find What You're Not Looking For By Veera Hiranandani
Twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg's life feels like the moment after the final guest leaves the party. Her family's Jewish bakery runs into financial trouble, and her older sister has eloped with a young man from India following the Supreme Court decision that strikes down laws banning interracial marriage. As change becomes Ariel's only constant, she's left to hone something that will be with her always--her own voice.
Maria Aguila Author Visit 3/10/25
Maria Aguila will be visiting MVA on Monday, March 10 during Period 1, (9:00). The event will be in person. open Q&A session, specifically designed for our student audience, will follow a brief introduction by the author.
About the author: María Dolores Águila is a Chicana poet and author from San Diego. Deeply inspired by Chicane history and art, she seeks to write empowering and inclusive stories about everything she learns. She also loves drinking coffee, browsing the bookshelves at her local library, and spending time with her family.
Student Sign Ups:
If you want to attend as an individual student, you must sign up below . You may not be on the Non-Privilege List. It is at your responsibility to check in with your 1st period teacher prior to get their approval. You are responsible for any classwork you miss and need to make up.
Make a mini zine at lunch 3/17-3/20
What is a Zine?
A zine (pronounced ZEEN) is short for "fanzine" and is usually a small-batch, independently published work that circulates less than 1,000 copies. Anyone can be a zinester (aka "someone who creates a zine"), and most people make zines for the love of creating rather than for seeking a profit. In general, a zine is a pamphlet-like publication that can include text, images, artwork, found objects, or any other creative material that helps to express the author's message.
Want to learn more? https://www.binderymke.com/what-is-a-zine
2025 TEEN CREATIVE WRITER'S CONFERENCE - FREE
This one is especially for the "Badoodoos" (IYKYK). Tracy Badua will be one of the speakers at the March 8th 2025 CCA Creative Writers Conference 8:00-3:00.
The Canyon Crest Academy High School Creative Writing Club hosts a free creative writing conference for local middle & high school students.
Register HERE
Saturday, Mar 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM PST
Canyon Crest Academy High School, 5951 Village Center Loop Road, San Diego, CA, 92130, United States. Instagram: @ccacreativewriting
14th annual CCA Creative Writers Conference where many authors speak and present workshops to middle and high school students.
Birds of MVA
If you see a bird at MVA and want to know what it is, come see Ms. Vattuone in the library. Take a picture and we can post it on our wall.
By the way, the bird pictured to the right is a California Towhee. See if you can spot one at MVA or around your house. You can usually spot them hopping or running on the ground but tend to stay close to the protection of low shrubs and trees.
You can also identify birds using one of these free apps:
Merlin - https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org/
Mr. Alvarado spotted a flock of Bluebirds
These birds are highly social, and usually feed in flocks during the non-breeding season. They hunt for terrestrial insects by dropping to the ground from a low perch. Western Bluebirds also frequently feed on berries in trees. Western Bluebirds rely on trees both for nesting cavities and hunting perches, and also perch on fences and utility lines.
If you take a picture of a bird at MVA, share it with Ms. Vattuone in the library!
Western Bluebird picture by Mr. Alvarado
Latin name = Sialia mexicana
- Western Bluebirds have a gentle look, but territory battles can get heated. Rival males may grab each other’s legs, tumble to the ground, and then pin their opponent on the ground, stand over him, and jab at him with his bill.
Want to learn more about Bluebirds? Read: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Bluebird/overview
Author Mac Barnett named new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Barnett is the Library of Congress' newest National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. The position was established in 2008 to promote books and reading to kids across the country. Other authors who've held the post include Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds and Meg Medina. It's a 2-year term and everyone who does it gets to pick a different focus. Barnett's plan is to focus on picture books.
Barnett has written more than 60 books for kids – chapter books, graphic novels and picture books. But Barnett says the picture book form doesn't get the same respect as other types of books – which he finds offensive.
"The picture book is my favorite art form," he said. "It's such an incredible, vibrant, exciting, forward-looking, experimental art form. And I think it's really undervalued, too."
"Because we're dismissing kids," he said. "And if we think that children's books are anything less than real literature, it's because we think kids are something less than real people. If we believe they're real people, then they deserve good art."
The type of literature Barnett champions for kids isn't didactic. It isn't an adult trying to teach a kid yet another lesson. It isn't a book as a "vector for an educational tool," he said. "It's our job to make books that kids want to read."
And that same philosophy extends to how kids choose what they want to read. "Growing up, my mom would take me to the library every week. And she would let me pick out whatever books I wanted to read. It doesn't mean that she agreed with every book. My mom is a very opinionated woman. And if she didn't like what I was reading, she would talk to me about it."
We have his books Rules of the House, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Come check out the display in the library.
Learn more at: https://www.macbarnett.com/about
Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project - FREE COMICS
What is the Kumeyaay VSP? This is a community-based project to tell history from the perspective of members of Kumeyaay Nation, located in southern California...through comics!
The Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project is a form of Community Engaged Comics. It is a partnership between Kumeyaay Nation members and NAGPRA Comics co-producers.
Community Engaged Comics are a form of collaboration where the result is a comic, and so much more. The comics are a means for community engagement, for community members to discuss and build together what they want to communicate and how.
There are two parts to this 44 page comic. You can read it starting at either end of the comic/either story. Beyond Gaming is a walk through a community gathering with tribal historians. Our Past, Present, and Future is a series of two page spreads telling history from the Kumeyaay perspective.
Stop be the library to view the comics in full color! Or read them online here: https://kumeyaayvsp.weebly.com/the-comic.html
Freedom of Information Day - 3/16
Freedom of Information Day is celebrated on March 16th, the birthday of James Madison, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and the foremost advocate for openness in government.
Freedom of Information Day promotes the public's right to know and access to information.
Ramadan
Every year, Muslims fast each day of Ramadan from dawn until dusk, for the duration of the month. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin in the evening on Friday, February 28, 2025 and end on Saturday, March 29, 2025. The Islamic Calendar follows a lunar cycle, and while these are the calculated expected dates of Ramadan, they can differ from place to place based on moon-sightings or lack thereof. Some Muslims strictly follow calculations, while others strictly follow moon-sightings, and some follow a combination of both. What Muslims choose to follow can depend on their religious convictions, where they have lived in the world, and what their families practice. The day after the end of Ramadan (Sunday, March 30, 2025) is a religious holiday called Eid-al-Fitr.
For each day of Ramadan, fasting consists of abstaining from eating or drinking, including water, while the sun is out. Once the sun has set, Muslims eat dinner, a meal called “iftar” in Arabic. Iftar is generally a community-focused meal, where family members and friends come together for the blessed occasion. Afterwards, eating and drinking during the night is allowed until dawn of the next day.
During Ramadan, it is customary for Muslims to pray extra nightly prayers and participate in other religious practices throughout the day and night, when possible. They will often wake up for or stay up until “suhur”, a pre-dawn meal.
You Are Never A Bother
Sometimes it may feel like the world isn’t listening and no one understands. But you are not alone. Friends and trained pros can reconnect you with your reasons to keep going, and show you ways to cope with difficult days.
Get Help Now: Whether it’s a low point, a crisis, or something you can’t exactly put into words, get help for yourself or a friend, call or text 988 to get help, 24/7.
