Author: Marla Greenwald

Free YA Audiobooks!

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date May 3, 2021

Audiobooks are a great way to relax or read on the go! Listen on the train, waiting in lines, while doing chores around the house, or to help you fall asleep at night.

Every summer, Audiobook SYNC offers two free YA audiobooks each week and 2021 is up and running. Here are the upcoming titles:

Click below to register with your @nycstudents.net email, then follow the instructions in your email to add SYNC in SORA. Each week you can choose whether to download the titles or not. Anything you download is yours to keep! No due dates!

Need help? There’s an instructional video at the bottom of last year’s post.

Curious what else is coming? Here are the titles for the rest of the summer:

Feel free to email Ms. Marla with any questions at mgreenwald2@schools.nyc.gov

Art Exhibition Quarantine

Protected: Rainbows in Windows

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date July 3, 2020

eBooks

¡Leer con Sora!

Read with Sora

¡Bienvenidos a Sora! Miren el video para aprender como accesar su colección de libros y vincularlo con la biblioteca pública de Brooklyn.

Sora is here! Watch the video below to learn how to access the pre-loaded books and link it to your Brooklyn public library account.

Tutorial de Sora

For @nycstudents logins or passwords, click below:

Encuentre su login/contraseña del DOE

For BPL library cards, click below:

tarjetas de la biblioteca pública de Brooklyn

7th/8th Grade only

Register below for AudioBookSync and get 2 free YA audiobooks in SORA until the end of July. Titles are in English only, but highly recommended!

Events

Protected: Lectura de Verano (MS)

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date June 23, 2020

Events Quarantine Videos

Protected: Lectura de Verano

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date June 22, 2020

eBooks Quarantine

Listen to This!

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date April 28, 2020

Free audio books all summer long

It’s hard to concentrate lately, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on reading! SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. Every Thursday, starting this week and continuing until July 29th, you can sign up to receive two audiobook downloads a week.

Audiobooks, often read by the authors themselves or professional actors, are a great way to read hands free, and can often be enjoyed while doing other things like folding laundry, picking up your room, or painting your nails.

I know, you’re thinking…what kind of books? I’m pretty picky. You should be! Not all the books will be your thing, but once you register, you get to pick which ones you want to download. Here are this year’s titles:

Sponsored by AudioFile, a magazine that reviews audiobooks, the books have to be read on SORA, the student version of Overdrive (app for reading library eBooks and Audiobooks.)

What are you waiting for?! Visit audiobooksync.com to register.

Registration is as easy as entering your email address

Once registered, you’ll receive instructions for downloading and logging in to SORA. Happy listening!

Click to learn more about SORA and to download for Apple or Android

This tutorial was created by librarian Esther Keller at IS 278 in Marine Park.

Chapter Books

Gabriel Finley And The Raven’s Riddle

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date June 1, 2016
1 Comment on Gabriel Finley And The Raven’s Riddle

51dvzsmuafl-_sx341_bo1204203200_ Gabriel Finley is a kid who needs to rescue his father in Aviopolis, under a cemetery guarded by birds. He has to solve challenging riddles and fight to find his father along with a raven named Paladin. He will have to go through different missions to save to his father, Adam. It will uncover the truth about his captor, a demon named Corox- half human, half raven.

This book is great for someone who likes mystery and readers who like not knowing what is going to happened. This book is good for upper elementary and middle school readers.

Manga

Spirited Away

Chihiro Ogino is moving to her new house with her family, but while traveling there they come across a empty, and mysterious town. Chihiro and her family enter the mysterious town, and see a market filled with food but no one’s there. Since they are hungry they start eating the food but they can’t stop, almost like the food is magical. Chihiro tries to stop her parents from eating, but no matter what she tries, they can’t stop! Their gluttonous behavior turns them into pigs! She leaves them and travels deeper into the mysterious town and finds herself in a bath house where she meets a guy named Haku. Haku tells her that she needs to convince Kamaji (the man in charge of the boiler room) to get her a job or Yubaba, the bath house witch, will also turn her into a animal! Will Chihiro be able to convince Kamaji to get her a job? Or will Chihiro be turned into an animal by Yubaba?

This art style is very unique, you can’t find this art style anywhere. It’s hand-drawn instead of done by computer. The art style goes very well with the weirdness of the story.

Also, check out the anime film, Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki!

This manga is for kids: 10+

Picture Books

Penelope and Her Puffy Brown Crown

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date April 18, 2016

Do you like your hair? Penelope sure doesn’t, well at least at first. Penelope wakes up one morning and wants to go outside. Her mom tells her no because she hasn’t done her hair and Penelope doesn’t like the fact that her big hair is stopping her from playing. After that she says she doesn’t like her hair and she wants to change it. Penelope thinks that it will take hours to get her hair done.

4503859-ea8a4ce8d9693a3cb1a5cf8c6d448754 Penelope discovers her hair’s true potential and the adventures it will bring. It will show her that her puffy brown crown is the prettiest throne anyone can get.
When I read the book I felt like it took me back to when I was a little kid and liked playing with my hair. I can also relate to the book because I also do not like my puffy brown crown, which also takes a long time to manage…but I’m learning to.

YA Reads

Into the Dangerous World

Post author By Marla Greenwald
Post date April 8, 2016

ror Library House blogger, Leana, catches up with 8th grader, Jacqueline F.

LM: Who is the main character, what is he/she like?

JF: A girl named, Ror, who likes to draw. She was born in this commune and she was raised by her parents which were hippies. Her family is not allowed to have worldly possessions (like tv, eating candy, or junk food.) They have to make their own clothes and food. One night when she is drawing in her room, her dad comes and sets the house on fire, and he commits suicide. Her family loses everything, goes to a motel, and has to give in to society. She goes to a public school for the first time, she meets a guy in art class, she befriends him. She figures out that he is part of a graffiti crew and she gets really into graffiti, and becomes a member of the graffiti crew. She wants to continue to be there but, it’s too dangerous. Her family doesn’t support it and its a problem for her.

LM: What inspired you to read this book?

JF: I decided to read it because of the book trailer that we saw it library and I could relate to the character.

LM: If you could experience any events from the book what would it be?

JF: The events are really sad so I wouldn’t want to experience any of those events.

This book will appeal to readers who like characters who struggle with emotional changes and with some hard life challenges. There are characters that help her in ways that are extremely kind.

It’s about a girl trying to figure out who she is and what art means to her when she is passing through hard times. There are a lot of moments where she is feeling confusion, fear, strength, and acceptance. Art is a way to scream out her emotions. Remember that Julie Chibbaro and JM Superville Sovak are coming for W2R day!