Choices

There have not been many books that I have read lately that have stayed with me quite like Dark Water, written by Laura McNeal. The sense of loss and injustice is so present in this book, that it stirred some deep reflections about the way I now see the loss of a loved one and the ramifications of that loss on everyone as it ripples through your life. The circumstances of the tragedy in this book make me wonder how people can move on sometimes - the unfairness of it all. The bad choice and misguided instinct to hide the truth, cost the main character, Pearl, so much. Mind you, nothing Pearl decided to do was out of the ordinary, just a little self absorbed and instictively cautious in protecting someone she cared deeply about, and her life came tumbling down.

The essence of the book, through the way the author had the narrator tell the story, is ultimately what was so successful. The narrator told you just a few tidbits that carried you through, pacing the events carefully, but you knew it was not going to end well for her. Redemption was not going to be easy to come by, either, as she caused so many people so much pain, so you feel such sorrow. The loss of love and loved ones carried the reader through a short time in her life that changed everything. She lived in her life, moving forward, and it all seemed so real. The story began with such hope and a glimmer of young, true love, but ultimately, the way life sometimes turns out to be, it rolled away with a sadness that really hits home. But, also a determination, on her part, not to have lost everything in vain.

Congratulations to the Letters about Literature Finalists

The following students have advanced to the final round of state-level judging for “Letters about Literature.” an annual reading-writing contest held by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in cooperation with affiliate state centers for the book and in partnership with Target Stores.

To enter, readers in grades 4-12 write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, contemporary or classic—explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for grades 4-6; Level II for grades 7- 8; and Level III, for grades 9-12. NCS students took part in Levels I and II under the guidance of the school Librarians Laurel Lennon.and Katherine Menz.

All of these NCS students are invited to an awards ceremony and luncheon at the Martin Luther King Jr. Public Library on April 30.

Middle School Students
Ezekiella Carlos ‘15
Diana Hla ‘16
Meredith Holmes ‘15
Sarah Lipson ‘15
Isabella Small ‘15
Katherine Ann Van Kirk ‘15

Presentation on 21st Century Textbooks

On Wednesday, March 2, Chip Chase and Katey Craver gave a presentation to the annual conference of the DC/MD area independent school bookstore managers focusing on the future of the textbook.

In the presentation, we address the problems of using ebooks as textbooks, and then imagine how textbooks will look in the future, whether we will use enhanced e-textbooks or move away from textbooks altogether and use open educational resources.

To access the presentation and resources, go to:
http://www.ncslibrary.org/textbooks

21st Century Textbooks: Implications for Independent Schools on Prezi

Sisterly Love

Sisters’ relationships are very complex, beautiful, intense and extraordinary, but complex. Having one of my own, I can tell you that there is much more to our conversations than with anyone else I know. The last two books I read, The Sweetness of Salt, written by Cecilia Galante, and Fixing Delilah, written by Sarah Ockler, both focused on the hidden story of sisters. Surprisingly, the relationships developed subtly initially, but then the big ball dropped and BOTH stories had unbelievable details unfold. Dysfunctional might be a kind, and also cliché these days, word to describe the relationships, but true, nonetheless. However, I really enjoyed both these novels because they were true, real. The conversations were snarky, loving, and brutal all at once – something most people with a sister can identify with – there was no hiding behind niceties!

In The Sweetness of Salt, the main character, Julia, was on her way to a life she thought she wanted, her parents sure did. But her sister, the one lurking in the background (actually there was another, as well, unbeknownst to her), threw it all up in the air and watched it all come tumbling back to the ground. This book held me to the end. I could see the conversations in my head, the anxiety provoking experiences and memories unraveling, and, most importantly, the unconditional love between them.

Fixing Delilah was a different kind of story, initially a dark, sad story on some level, because of the sadness that the main character, Delilah, felt, but also because of the vivid loneliness her mother sparked in her. The relationship was more about the relationship between her mother and her mother’s sister because Delilah was an only-child. The sisters were important because Delilah was raised by a single mother, and she only gained true solace with her aunt. The events turned, lightening the story, but then the there were some moments of clarity for Delilah that can only be described at extraordinary. Yet, the story maintained my interest because I felt that the characters were people I might know, feeling the pain of the characters when secrets were revealed and wicked tongues were unleashed.

Sisters are funny. You love them completely, but you can also pinpoint what hurts them most, and sometimes people, as these characters showed, use it when you feel backed in a corner. Much like friends, the characters dismissed what was right in front of them, but then avoiding them (or the memories) didn’t seem to work; family gatherings seem to be always lurking around the corner. So, somehow, sisters work it out.

Dragon Dictation: "App"-solutely Fabulous!

Apps are changing the nature of how we interact with technology. In this blog series, we will highlight some great apps that are guaranteed to make your life a little easier. Consider downloading these apps onto your personal smart phone or tablet device, or come to see them in action in the MS/US library.

About Dragon Dictation

Dragon Dictation is a great app that allows you to quickly dictate notes onto your iPad. Simply press the record button and the app records your speech. Press the screen again and the app will convert that speech to text.  Edit the text for any changes, and then email it, copy it, or send it directly to Facebook or Twitter.

You are limited to about 30 seconds of recording time, and try to make sure you speak clearly, in a quiet environment for best results.

Tips in a Minute: Noodle Tools Part 5 - Organizing Notecards

In this video, the fifth in the Noodle Tools video series, students and teachers can learn how to organize notecards using the Noodle Tools "Notecards Tabletop".  This virtual notetaking table top is an easy way to interact with your notes as you prepare for your paper!

To watch all the Noodle Tools videos, click here to access our special Noodle Tools video playlist.

Office 2 HD: "App"-solutely Fabulous!

Apps are changing the nature of how we interact with technology. In this blog series, we will highlight some great apps that are guaranteed to make your life a little easier. Consider downloading these apps onto your personal smart phone or tablet device, or come to see them in action in the MS/US library.

About Office 2 HD

While there are a few Office-document writing apps available on the iPad, Office2 HD is one of the best. With Office 2 HD, you can create documents on the fly and then email them to your self, open & edit documents from email, or even synchronize your google docs or dropbox account to open, access, and edit documents on the fly.

If you want to use your iPads to open and edit Word documents, this app is a must-have!