RSSStudent Newsletter | March 2021
Blog @ Spokane Public Library
Women’s History Month | Book List for Kids & Young Adults
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the struggles and accomplishments women made throughout history, and to read stories depicting female empowerment.
Anthologies
Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl
Little Book of Feminist Saints by Julia Pierpont
Artists, Creators, and Musicians
Bon Appetit! The Delicious life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland
Dancing Hands: how Teresa Carreño played the piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López
Ella Fitzgerald: the Tale of a vocal virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Frida by Jonah Winter
Harlem’s Little Blackbird by Renée Watson
Hot Pink: the life and fashions of Elsa Schiaparelli by Susan Goldman Rubin
Imogen by Amy Novesky
Lily Renée, escape artist: from Holocaust survivor to comic book pioneer by Trina Robbins
Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Rodriguez
Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the power of a protest Song by Gary Golio
You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer!: a very improper story by Shana Corey and Chesley McLaren
Social Justice and Civil Rights Activists
Being Jazz by Jazz Jennings
Clara Barton by Kathleen Deady (nurse/red cross)
Fight of the Century: Alice Paul battles Woodrow Wilson for the vote by Barb Rosenstock and Sarah Green
History Smashers: Women’s Right to Vote by Kate Messner
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Lift As You Climb: the story of Ella Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell and R. Gregory Christie (soon to be on order)
Noisemakers: 25 women who raised their voices and changed the world – a graphic collection from Kazoo edited by Erin Bried
Only Passing through: the story of Sojourner Truth by Anne F. Rockwell
On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and her march for children’s rights by Monica Kulling and Felicita Sala
Red Scarf Girl: a memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Boston Weatherford
Politicians and Judges
Eleanor Roosevelt Fighter for Justice by Ilene Cooper
Elizabeth Warren: Nevertheless, She Persisted by Susan Wood
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes her mark by Debbie Levy and Elizabeth Baddeley
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes
Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Jonah Winter
The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor by Sonia Sotomayor
What do you do with a voice like that? by Chris Barton
Inventors, Scientists, and Mathematicians
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Nothing Stopped Sophie: the story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe and Barbara McClintock
Book
Temple Grandin by Sy Montgomery
Marie Curie by Leonard Everett Fisher
Marvelous Mattie: how Margaret E. Knight became an inventor by Emily Arnold McCully
Sally Ride: a photo biography of America’s pioneering women in Space by Tam E. O’Shaughnessy
The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s life with the chimps by Jeanette Winter
Dancers, Athletes and Aviators
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
Breaking Through: how female athletes shattered stereotypes in the roaring twenties by Sue Macy and Muffet McGraw
(soon to be on order)
Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Proud: Living My American Dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Rising Above: Inspiring Women in Sports by Gregory Zuckerman
Talkin’ ’bout Bessie: the story of aviator Bessie Coleman by Nikki Grimes
Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina by Maria Tallchief and Rosemary Wells and Gary Kelley
Tillie the Terrible Swede: how one woman, a sewing needle, and a bicycle changed history by Sue Stauffacher and Sarah McMenemy
Strong Female Stories in YA
Audacity by Melanie Crowder
Because I Was a Girl by Melissa De la Cruz
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Girls Write Now: Two Decades of True Stories from Young Female Voices
I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu
Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson
A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & Other Badass Girls by Jessica Spotswood
Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson
~ admin
An Artist’s Inspiration
During this month’s Meet an Artist program, participants got to see Tracy Poindexter-Canton’s beautiful artwork and heard about famous Black artists she is inspired by. She also invited poet Stephen Pitters to share a poem he wrote in response to one of her pieces. To learn more about the artists that have inspired Tracy, you can access library materials about them and films on Kanopy. Library card holders can stream 8 films a month with a Kanopy account.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
website | Library materials | Kanopy films
Romare Bearden
Jacob Lawrence
website | Library materials | Kanopy films
Toni Morrison
Library materials | Kanopy films | New York Times article about which books to read
Faith Ringgold
Amy Sherald
Nina Simone
Henry Taylor
Mickalene Thomas
Kehinde Wiley
Kara Walker
~ Eva - Arts Education Specialist
Women’s History Month Book List
Last year, the National Women’s History Alliance selected as their theme “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced.” Since most women’s suffrage events were canceled in 2020, they extended the theme for 2021 as it “captures the spirit of these challenging times.” In honor of that theme, Spokane Public Library created a selection of fiction and non-fiction books for Women’s History Month honoring women who used their voices to speak out. These books by women honor the spirit of women’s empowerment.
Non-Fiction
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Book | Audiobook | eBook | Large Type
Educated by Tara Westover
My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Woman’s Hour: the Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine F. Weiss
Fiction
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
The Power by Naomi Alderman
~
Student Newsletter | February 2021
~ Skyler
Enjoy Magazines from RBdigital on Libby from OverDrive Starting January 28
Spokane Public Library will be moving our digital magazines from RBdigital to the Libby app starting January 28. You will continue to be able to browse, borrow, and enjoy all the same great magazines from ZINIO in the RBdigital app, now available in Libby from OverDrive. Magazines will still be available in the RBdigital app through March 31.
Getting Started with Libby
Our library is proud to continue to offer you a wide selection of digital titles for you to access anytime, anywhere through the award-winning Libby app.
All you need to get started in Libby is your device and your library card number [and PIN number]. The Libby app is easy to use and will guide you through the setup process and get you connected to our library in just a few minutes. If you have questions, you can find in-app support, or visit the Help site or Libby Academy within the app for assistance.
New to digital?
In just a few taps, you can start reading instantly on your phone or tablet. The digital library is available 24/7 without leaving home and is free from our library. Download the Libby app to get started.
Learn how to find magazines in Libby by watching this tutorial video.
~ Skyler
Black History Month 2021
While February is Black History Month, it is important to reflect on the stories and impact of Black history throughout the year. The Library partnered with members of the community to provide videos, events, and book lists to inspire the community to reflect on and learn from the history of Black people in America.
Videos
- “The Many Ways of Wakanda: Viewpoint Diversity and Its Implications for Civics Education” | Justin Martin, Ph.D., Whitworth University
- Performances by Spokane’s Neema African Youth Choir. The choir consists of African refugees who have been resettled to Spokane. “Neema” means “Grace” in Swahili.
- Local Poet Stephen Pitters shares his poem “Grievance” as a part of his series, The Poetry Cave
- Sounding the Beat of our Cultural Roots from Africa to America by James and Roberta Wilburn
Virtual Events | Register by clicking the link
- Meet the Artist: Tracy Poindexter-Canton | February 23 @ 4pm
- Virtual Book Club: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi | February 24 @ 12pm
- I Am, Thurgood Marshall: Ageless Lessons of a Civil Rights Giant and a Life Well-Spent | February 25 @ 6:30pm
- Poetry Celebration in the Afternoon | February 26 @ 3pm
Book Lists
Movies
~
Black History Month | Book List Recommended by Community Members
For Black History Month, we reached out to members of Spokane’s Black community and asked them to share a couple of their favorite books or books they felt were important for others to read. This is an #OwnVoices list in more than one way, it is selected by #OwnVoices and the books themselves are written by #OwnVoices.
#OwnVoices is a term coined by the writer Corinne Duyvis, and refers to an author from a marginalized or under-represented group writing about their own experiences/from their own perspective, rather than someone from an outside perspective writing as a character from an underrepresented group.
Recommended by Kiantha Duncan, Spokane NAACP President
African Americans in Spokane by Jerrelene Williamson, Spokane Northwest Black Pioneers
Book
This is My America by Kim Johnson
Book
Recommended by Carl Richardson, Artist and SFCC Professor
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me: Poem by Maya Angelou, Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Book
Recommended by Inga Laurent, GU Professor and Inlander Writer
All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
Book | eBook
The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticant
Book | Audiobook
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Book | Large Print | eBook
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Book | Large Print | Audiobook (compact disc) | eBook
Recommended by Ginger Ewing, Executive Director, Terrain
Black Futures edited by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham
Book
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne and Tamara Payne
Book | eBook | Audiobook
On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by Deray McKesson
Book
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Book | Large Print | eBook | Audiobook(compact disc) | Audiobook(Libby)
Recommended by Shantell Jackson, Multidisciplinary Artist and Poet
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
Book
Stop Telling Women to Smile by Tatyana Fatzlalizadeh
On Order
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
Book | eBook | Audiobook(compact disc) | Audiobook(Libby) |
Caste: The Origin of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Book | eBook | Audiobook(compact disc) | Audiobook(Libby) |
Black Futures edited by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham
Book
Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston
Book | eBook
Recommended by Bob Lloyd, Artist and Photographer; Retired Professor of Art, EWU
The Plot to Betray America: How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It by Malcolm W. Nance
Book
Black Software: The Internet & Racial Justice, from the AfroNet to Black Lives Matter by Charlton D. McIlwain
Audiobook
~ Eva - Arts Education Specialist
Black History Month | Book List for Kids 2021
This is an #OwnVoices list for Black History Month featuring stories of historical fiction, fiction, biography, and more about prominent people, movements, and eras outlined in Black history. We hope these books inspire learning and reflection.
Picture Books
Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman
Trombone Shorty by Bryan Collier
Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop: the Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan and R. Gregory Christie
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls
Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colon
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and Frank Morrison
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
One Million Men and Me by Kelly Starling Lyons and Peter Ambush
Josephine: the Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison
The ABC’s of Black History by Rio Cortez and Lauren Semmer
Exquisite: the Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade and Cozbi A. Cabrera
All Around Town: the photographs of Richard Samuel Roberts by Dinah Johnson
Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! by Andrea J. Loney and Keith Mallett
The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne by Lesa Cline-Ransome and John Parra
Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy and Ekua Holmes
Middle Grade
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
My Life as An Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander
Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz, Renée Watson
Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper
A Few Red Drops by Claire Hartfield
March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine by Melba Pattillo Beals
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Book | Audiobook (Compact Disc) | Audiobook (Libby) | eBook
Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician by Katherine G. Johnson
This is Your Time by Ruby Bridges
YA
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
March, Book One by John Lewis
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynold, Ibram X. Kendi
We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson, Tonya Bolden
Say Her Name by Zetta Elliot, Channie Waites
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam
X: A Novel by Ilyasha Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
Kindred (Graphic Novel) by Octavia Butler
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair
Black Boy White School by Brain F. Walker
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
~
Library Projects Under Construction
The Library currently has five projects under construction, funded by the $77 million bond voters passed in 2018. There have been no major pandemic implications to the construction timelines and we are looking forward to opening four out of five projects this year. Read on to learn about each project. You may also watch a time lapse of the construction projects here.
Liberty Park
Located adjacent to the aquatic center at Liberty Park, this building is nearly double in size to the existing East Side Library that it will replace. This location will feature beautiful westward views of the park and a Sasquatch-themed children’s area. The library also includes a quiet reading room, two group study rooms, and a large event space. This building is expected to open in summer 2021.
Shadle Park
The Shadle Park Library renovation nearly doubles the size of the existing library to 30,000 square feet. Visitors to the new Shadle Park Library will enjoy access to a large event space, several private study rooms, a maker studio, and an enhanced children’s area called Moose’s Market. Shadle Park Library is expected to open in summer 2021.
Hillyard
The new Hillyard Library will be located on the Shaw Middle School campus, positioned next to the Shaw Middle School Library with a retractable door to accommodate library access outside of school hours. The library’s partnership with Spokane Public Schools efficiently uses tax-payer funds to expand services to the community. The new library boasts a mountain-themed children’s area, three private group study rooms, a large event space, and a maker studio. The new Hillyard Library is expected to open in fall 2021.
The Hive™
In partnership with Spokane Public Schools, the Library is building a cutting-edge facility in the Sprague Union District. Called The Hive™ for the variety of learning and arts activities that will take place there, this building will provide event/training facilities and offices for Spokane Virtual Learning as well as a maker studio and studio spaces for local artists. This building already won an architecture award from The American Institute of Architects Spokane chapter in the unbuilt category. The Hive™ will open in summer 2021.
Central
Spokane’s main library, the three story, 117,000 square foot space located downtown, will reopen in spring 2022 as a citywide hub of 21st century library services. After reopening, this library will be renamed Central Library. Highlights of the new Central Library include large event spaces overlooking Spokane Falls, media studios including a public recording studio, an underwater-themed children’s area, and, of course, plenty of room for the library’s collection. Ample meeting and small study rooms will punctuate each floor of the building, offering a variety of choices for community use.
Indian Trail and South Hill libraries will also be lightly renovated. Design work began on those projects and construction will begin in summer 2021.
~ Amanda
Student Newsletter | January
~ Skyler
Winter World Jumble | Opening Act(ivity)
Hi, my name is Lisa. I usually host the Opening Act(ivity) program at Northtown. While the libraries are closed, we are bringing the activities to you virtually.
Today’s activity is a Winter Word(s) Jumble:
- UAMUTN
- NTIWRE
- ESFWALONK
- YAALS PHOHDIPY (2 WORDS)
- TSAONES SGEGERNIS (2 WORDS)
- GKIAIGTNHVNS
- GUIFS PRYA LRMUA (3 WORDS)
- SYRULETB
- LHYCLI
- DGHESR LIEI (2 WORDS)
- STE IGKNICA (2 WORDS)
- OCA COTHO (2 WORDS)
- KSAR TCOJF (2 WORDS)
- NESATOMRN
- ZALIZDRB
- ENERIDER
- NPCUIOCARO
Have fun!!!