- Taylor Middle
- Library
Introduction to the Library
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Welcome to the TMS Library and Media Center!
Our mission is to help every student find their success, no matter what that might look like. The library staff is here to serve you, to encourage your passion for any and all disciplines (inside and outside of the classroom!) and to navigate you to the resources you need. We strive to be the hub of the school, pointing you in your right direction so that you too can Transcend, Motivate, and Serve.
What does success look like in the library?
Well, for starters, it means reading!
Students are allowed to check out up to two books over the course of 15 school days. Books may be renewed, unless they are new or on hold.
Your English teachers will schedule time in the Library regularly. You can return and check out books during your scheduled class visits, or (!), if you just can’t wait, you can come down to do your own returns and checkouts as well.
When can you do that?
The library opens every morning at 7:10. With permission, you may visit the library during homeroom and lunch. You may ask your teacher for permission during class time as well. The library closes at 2:10 every day. We want to make sure you have time to return to class to collect your things, visit your locker, and make the bus on time. Safety first!
What else can you do?
This is your library! That means, in addition to checking out books, you may spend time in the library reading, working on schoolwork (individually or in a group), and using the computer stations. More activities will become available over the course of the year, including Book Fairs, so be sure to check in often so you know the latest developments!
Additional Procedures
Fines
Students will not be fined for overdue books. However, if you’ve already checked out 2 books, you will need to return at least one of them in order to check out a new one!
Students that return books damaged will be fined $5. If you lose a book, you will need to pay the cost to replace it.
BYOD
Phones (and/or other devices) can be used in the library for research purposes. Library staff will encourage you to use your phone for certain activities and workshops. Library staff will let you know when it’s appropriate to use your phone, and when it should be put away.
PE Students
Students who cannot attend gym or health class will spend that period in the library! Check in with your PE teacher at the beginning of your class and they will direct you to the library. Library staff will help you complete your assigned work when you arrive!
Reading Programs
There will be several reading programs and events throughout the year. The Piedmont Battle of the Books Team, led by Ms. Dickey, meets monthly and attends 2 competitions during the year. Members read to become experts on 20 previously chosen book selections and compete against other schools!
Additionally, students who read and summarize 4 of the 10 Virginia Readers' Choice books will be invited to attend a party at the end of the year. Battle of the Books and Virginia Readers’ Choice selection are located at the Circulation Desk.
Battle of the Books List 2019-2020
Historical Fiction
The Button War: A Tale of the Great War by Avi
Suspect Red by L. M. Elliot
The Night Diary by Veera HiranandaniFantasy
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
The Train of Lost Things by Ammi-Joan Paquette
The Real Boy by Anne UrsuGraphic Novel
Brave by Svetlana ChmakovaRealistic
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
Breakout by Kate MessnerAdventure
Deep Water by Watt Key
A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbi PyronScience Fiction
The Limit by Kristen Landon
The Big Dark by Rodman PhilbrickMystery
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
It Wasn’t Me by Dana Alison LevyNonfiction
Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners From 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert by Marc Aronson
Chasing King’s Killer by James L. SwansonHumorous
Toad Rage by Morris Gleitzman
Inkling by Kenneth OppelSports
Game Changer by Tommy GreenwaldVirginia Readers’ Choice 2019-2020
Refugee by Alan Gratz, Scholastic Press, 2017, 978-0-545-88083-1
Three stories of children from different times driven by the same desires to find freedom and safety set out for new lands.
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling, Sterling Children's Books, 2017, 978-1-45492345-9
Aven was born without any arms but has figured out how to use her feet for almost everything. When people ask her about the missing arms, she usually makes up an entertaining fib such as she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match. Aven and her family move across the country when her parents take a job running a slightly failing western theme park in Arizona. Being the new kid at school is no fun, especially when you have no arms. She begins to make new friends with two other students who have their own set of problems. While adjusting to a new life, Aven finds herself in the middle of a mystery surrounding the theme park.
Restart by Gordon Korman, Scholastic Press, 2017, 978-1-33805377-7
Chase, captain of the school football team and well-known bully of the school, falls off the roof and has a case of amnesia. When he returns to school, he does not remember the actions that earned his reputation in the school or understand why so many students fear and hate him. Having to change many of his school routines due to his accident, he soon learns the impact his previous behavior had on the students of the school and tries to repair the damage he has done.
Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green, Pajama Press, 2017, 978-1-77278-033-8
Macy is deaf but that's not what really defines her - it's just a part of who she is. What she's really worried about is a fight with her best friend, her mother remarrying, and surprisingly connecting with her elderly neighbor over books.
Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! by Ammi-Joan Paquette, Walden Pond Press, 2017, 978-0-06-241879-1
Two out of every three of these unbelievable stories about the world we live in are true, but one is a lie. Like the popular game, readers have to sort fact from fiction to determine the truth.
Lost in the Pacific, 1942: Not a Drop to Drink by Tod Olson, Scholastic, 2016, 978-0-545-92808-3
Based on true events, this story details the mission charged with taking WWI Air Hero Eddie Rickenbacker to Canton Island. As the plane nears the island, it runs out of fuel and crash lands in the Pacific. The story continues to describe the crews’ harrowing time at sea.
Watchdog by Will McIntosh, Delacorte Press, 2017, 978-1-52471384-3
In his first novel for young adults, this Virginia author sets the story in a futuristic dystopian Chicago. Vick, who suffers from asthma, and his younger sister, Tara, an electronics savant, struggle to survive in a dark world. They spend their days scouring through junk yards looking for electronic parts they can sell for food. When Tara creates a robotic dog that draws the attention of the underworld, things take a turn for the worse. Family, loyalty, and friendship are deeply embedded in this story which will appeal to both boys and girls. Who will triumph: good or evil?
Amina's Voice by Hena Khan, Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017, 978-1-48149206-5
Amina is in 6th grade and a Pakistani-American who has a beautiful singing voice but won't sing in front of people. Her best friend is Korean and becoming a U.S. citizen. While Amina deals with friendship and family issues, there is a tragic event in her town that brings people together.
The Red Bandanna: Young Reader's Adaptation by Tom Rinaldi, Viking Books for Young Readers, 2017, 978-0-425-28762-0
Never expecting to be a hero, Welles Crowther is in the South Tower in New York City on September 11, 2001. Realizing the danger of the situation, Welles, wearing his red bandanna, leads people to safety and returns to save even more.
Braced by Alyson Gerber, Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017, 978-0-545-90214-4
Rachel has scoliosis. Right before 7th grade begins and she's made the starting line-up on the soccer team, she finds out she has to wear a brace to correct her scoliosis. She has two best friends and a crush on a boy, so she has to navigate 7th grade while having to wear the brace.
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