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! 

We hope that everyone’s spring break and Easter long weekend were relaxing – that you had the opportunity to spend (more 

) time together. Perhaps you had time to do some reading and have a title or two to suggest for the book drive?

We’ve had lots of great titles and topics come in so far – keep them coming! We want to hear from everyone in the Hastings school community – what do you want to read? As a reminder, there are a variety of ways to give 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.

Here are a few of the fantastic suggestions we’ve received so far:

When Aidan Became a Brother – Kyle Lukoff

When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl’s room and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn’t fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life. Then Mom and Dad announced they’re going to have another baby and Aidan wants to do everything he can to make things right for his new sibling from the beginning. But what does “making things right” actually mean?

Trailblazers: The Black Pioneers Who Have Shaped Canada – Tiyahna Ridley-Padmore

Trailblazers is a disruptive children’s book that introduces readers to Canada’s Black history through the under-told stories of over forty incredible Black change makers. With each short story carefully written in poetic form and accompanied by beautiful illustrations, this tribute brings complex topics and historical facts to life.

Can You See Me – Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott

Tally is eleven years old and she’s just like her friends. Well, sometimes she is. If she tries really hard to be. Because there’s something that makes Tally not the same as her friends. Something she can’t cover up, no matter how hard she tries: Tally is autistic. People think that because Tally’s autistic, she doesn’t realise what they’re thinking, but Tally sees and hears – and notices – all of it. And, honestly? That’s not the easiest thing to live with.

In Real Life – Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang

Anda loves CoarseGold Online, the massively-multiplayer role playing game that she spends most of her free time on. It’s a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It’s a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. Gaming is, for Anda, entirely a good thing. But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer – a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behaviour is strictly against the rules in CoarseGold but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person’s real livelihood is at stake.

We’ll keep taking suggestions all through April and send out a weekly update email. A reminder that we are also gathering donations to help get these books in to our library. Again, there are a few ways to donate:
    1.    Visit Iron Dog Books on Hastings St and purchase one of the books already selected by our librarian.
    2.    Contribute to the Hastings Book Drive account at Iron Dog Books.
    3.    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).

Looking forward to hearing from YOU 

! ️