The Hastings Library Diversity Book Drive is going strong! Over $700 has been raised so far and 130 book suggestions have come in. The first batches of books are already on the library shelves! Great job Hastings Elementary community and let’s keep going!

As always, we are mindful that not everyone has the means to donate financially. For those who do, remember – our goal is to raise $4000 by May 14th! So, if you keep putting it off, thinking you’ll get to it later, do it now!

Ways to donate:
    1.    Visit Iron Dog Books at 2671 E Hastings St and purchase one of the librarian pre-selected books OR contribute to the in-store Hastings Book Drive account (no donation is too small!).
    2.    Contribute using the School Cash Online donation form (select Hastings PAC as the fund destination and note that it is for the book drive in the message section).
And keep those book suggestions coming, by using this form!
And a final note about some related work our librarian has been doing. Books with offensive content or appropriated stories – books written about BIPOC experiences by white authors and cultural stories told by settlers/colonizers – are being removed from the shelves and being replaced that with all the new, wonderful, diverse books coming into the library. Thank you for that important work, librarian Erin!

Hi everyone!

We hope that you are all enjoying the sunshine and cherry blossoms. 

The Hastings Book Drive has been such a success so far! We had over 100 fantastic book suggestions come to us – no two the same! Keep ’em coming! As we continue to gather suggestions, we also need to raise some money to get these books on our shelves.

We are mindful that not everyone has the means to donate and that Covid has made finances especially hard for some more than others. With that in mind, we ask those that are able to consider donating to this important project!

Our fundraising goal is $4000 by May 14th, with the intention of providing a fund that will be used to purchase many of the books on our list as well as important new releases to come. There are three ways that you can make a donation:
    1.    Visit Iron Dog Books on Hastings St and purchase one of the books already selected by our librarian, Erin. All of the books at Iron Dog that were previously selected have been purchased, so Erin has selected more and filled up the bin again!
    2.    Contribute to the Hastings Book Drive account at Iron Dog Books.
    3.    Contribute using the School Cash Online donation form (please ensure you select Hastings PAC as the fund destination and note that it is for the book drive in the message section).

Here are a few more of the fantastic suggestions that have been submitted so far….

A Boy and His Jaguar – by Alan Rabinowitz

The narrator explains his teachers must think he is “broken” when he is switched from his regular class due to his severe stuttering. But he can talk with his own small menagerie at home—in fact, he says, he can only speak fluently when he is singing or when he talks to animals. He promises the sad, caged jaguar at the Bronx Zoo that one day he will be a voice for the animals. In college, he finds ways to manage his stuttering; as an adult, he studies black bears and, later, jaguars. In a triumphant moment, he helps persuade Belize to set aside land as a jaguar preserve.

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh – by Supriya Kelkar

Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from pink for dancing to bhangra beats to red for courage. He especially takes care with his patka—his turban—smoothing it out and making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet’s mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, all he wants is to be invisible. Will he ever feel a happy sunny yellow again?

The Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii – by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and Sara Florence Davidson

Embedded in Haida culture and drawn from ancient oral narratives are a number of Supernatural Beings, many of them female, who embody these connections to the land, the sea, and the sky. Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii features ten of these ancient figures and presents them to children as visually engaging, empowering, and meaningful examples of living in balance with nature. This book challenges stereotypes, helps advance reconciliation, and celebrates Indigenous identity and culture.

My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall – by Elena Delle Donne

Elena Delle Donne has always forged her own path. During her first year of college, she walked away from a scholarship and chance to play at UConn—the most prestigious women’s college basketball program—so she could stay in her home state of Delaware and be close to her older sister, Lizzie, who has several disabilities and can only communicate through hand-over-hand signing. Elena Delle Donne delivers a powerful and motivational story of overcoming the challenges of competitive sports through balancing hard work and the support of a loving family.

A reminder of how to continue to send us your suggestions:
    1.    The suggestion box in the library – for students and teachers / staff.
    2.    The online poll in the Teams general channel – for students, teachers/staff and parents.
    3.    The online poll – for parents and students.

And although it is not a kids book, CONGRATULATIONS to Canada Reads winner Joshua Whitehead – the first Indigenous author to win! His debut novel(!!) Johnny Appleseed was defended by Devery Jacobs and tells the story of Johnny – an Indigiqueer youth trying to put his life back together after the death of his father. The power of a book….https://fb.watch/4QmodAw90n/.

Lastly, a note from our librarian, Erin, to those kids that are celebrating Ramadan over the coming month that you are welcome to spend recess and lunch time in the library! Ramadan Mubarak!!

We’ll send out an email each week to keep everyone updated on the progress of donations. In the meantime, happy reading!