Sabrina's Bookish Adventures

Bibliography Stone, Nic, 2017. DEAR MARTIN. New York, NY: Ember. ISBN 9781101939529 Plot Summary Justyce McAllister is 17 year old high school senior, who was awarded a full scholarship to Braselton Preparatory Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an extremely promising, bright student who has never been in trouble before. Until one night, he is trying to prevent his girlfriend driving drunk and get her home safely, when a police officer intervenes and makes the assumption he is up to no good. Without being given any chance to explain himself, he was beaten and arrested, because of the color of his skin. Unfortunately, it's not the only situation where Justyce is wrongly mistreated. Justyce begins to write to Martin Luther King Jr. for guidance and understanding of these horrible situations, not knowing how to feel and wondering how to find the answers to his unresolved questions about the treatment of young black men.   Critical Analysis Stone writes a moving, powerful story fr...

  Bibliography Green, John, 2008. AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES. New York, NY: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780142410707 Plot Summary Child prodigy Colin Singleton was dumped once again by his girlfriend, Katherine. Colin's had 19 girlfriends, all named Katherine. However, this last Katherine really did a number on him. So much so, that Colin's best friend declares they need to embark on a road trip to get over Colin's recent heartbreak. While on the road trip, Colin begins to fear he is a genius who will not accomplish anything, which leads him to create a mathematical theorem to predict the outcome of romantic relationships. In Gutshot, Tennessee, Colin will find the answer he's looking for with the help of friendship, laughter, anagrams, and surprisingly, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.  Critical Analysis Green's quirky, witty writing captures young adults attention as they take time to understand Colin Singleton's genius mind. Colin struggles with social interactions and...

  Bibliography Perkins, Stephanie, 2021. THE WOODS ARE ALWAYS WATCHING. New York, NY: Dutton Books. ISBN 9780525426028 Plot Summary Best friends Neena and Josie have just graduated high school and are about to go their separate ways for college. Neither seem to be handling the situation well. Neena suggests the girls take a hiking trip as one last chance to spend time together before the end of summer. While Josie is reluctant, she agrees to join. Little do the girls know there is horror and uncertainty awaiting them in the outdoors, the only question left is, will the girls and their friendship survive the trip?  Critical Analysis Perkins writes about best friends, Neena and Josie, taking one last trip before they both attend colleges miles apart. Josie, who has experienced heartbreak early with the passing of her father and mother overcome with depression, is afraid of change. Neena, whose parents have immigrated to the United States and have worked endlessly, is headstrong ...

     Personally, this was my first time actually using Artificial Intelligence and it was really interesting to see the results. I was not familiar with ChatGPT but can see how it could be a helpful tool in schools, especially when creating content for a school newsletter. It was fast and efficient, almost immediately what we asked for appeared. The only problem was that Chat GPT does not create images or any backgrounds, so we still needed to use another tool to capture our audiences attention. We were all familiar with Canva and even tested out the Magic Studio option to select a newsletter template. It was definitely a learning experience and I'm looking forward to utilizing AI when we go back to school. I can see how this resource can save a lot of time spent towards creating content. However, I would recommend being very specific with instructions and fact checking the information before sharing. Team Discussion          The AI tool we c...

Bibliography Longoria, Margarita, 2021. LIVING BEYOND BORDERS: GROWING UP MEXICAN IN AMERICA. New York, NY: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780593204986. Plot Summary Inside this collection of short stories, essays, poetry, and short comics, a variety of authors tell their story of what it is like to navigate America as a Mexican American. Many stories are similar in the sense of the authors not feeling like they belong or can be easily sought out for being "different". An eye-opening, powerful collection for all readers to explore. Critical Analysis Being Mexican American is something to be proud of, no one should feel ashamed to be related to this beautiful culture. The authors inside this collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and short comics, are all too aware of how they are perceived in America. Questioning how people make judgements, when these strong, humble people are also human and deserve equal rights. While reflecting on their lives, they start by sharing the...

Bibliography Pham, Thien, 2023. FAMILY STYLE: MEMORIES OF AN AMERICAN FROM VIETNAM. New York, NY: First Second. ISBN 9781250809728. Plot Summary Based on his own family's flee from Vietnam, Pham writes this graphic memoir of his own memories. Reliving and sharing the journey of his family leaving Vietnam, awaiting relocation at a refugee camp in Thailand, and finally immigrating to the United States. Life for the Pham family was not always easy as they begun learning a new language, finding a place to live, and working multiple jobs. Through all the hardships, Pham connects the highlights of his life to food, the most memorable foods eaten during these life-changing moments.  Critical Analysis Not only do Pham's memories make a compelling story, but the illustrations in this novel give readers a chance to truly connect to the story. As readers begin to understand the long, hard journey Pham's family has made to immigrate to America, they will notice that Pham commemorates e...

  Bibliography Shakur, Tupac, 1999. THE ROSE THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE. New York, NY: MTV Books. ISBN 9780671028459. Plot Summary Written was he was 19 years old, Tupac Shakur's deepest thoughts are shared through honest, emotional poetry. These 72 powerful poems give readers a closer look into the beloved artist's world and leave one last meaningful mark on the world, as they were shared after his untimely death.  Critical Analysis Although he was taken too soon from the world, Tupac Shakur's poetry is wise beyond his years. He writes poems dedicated to important historical figures, writing of their battles and unfair predicaments. He writes poems addressed to his loved ones, expressing how much they meant to him in those moments and what made them so unique. More importantly, Shakur wrote about his strong, deep feelings, wondering how things came to be in the world and of strength through the most painful of times. Readers will be able to relate to these dark, yet enlighten...

          Corpus Christi ISD services over 33,000 children in Corpus Christi and is home to 56 schools, ranging from elementary, middle, and high schools. Corpus Christi ISD is the largest school district in our city, all built within 68 miles. Many students in the heart of Corpus Christi attend a CCISD school based on their school zone. Our city by the bay is home to refineries, marine life studies, a Naval Air Station, along with jobs necessary to support a city. According to Corpus Christi Independent School District (2024), over 81% of our students are Hispanic, 72.8% of students are economically disadvantaged, and 65.5% of students are considered at-risk. I work at an elementary campus servicing Pre-K-5th grade students. My campus has over 300 students, majority of students are Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, and at-risk. Thinking of my students, majority of their parents do hold jobs in order to provide for their families; jobs ranging from offi...

Bibliography Boulley, Angeline, 2021. FIREKEEPER'S DAUGHTER. New York, NY: Square Fish. ISBN 9781250866035. Plot Summary Daunis has never quite felt understood. Having just graduated high school, she was looking forward to a new adventure at college. Being a part of two different cultures, white and Native American, has that effect on a young adult. As devastation hits Daunis' family, she decides to put her college dreams on hold in order to help her family. However, more tragedy hits Daunis' life as her best friend is killed by her meth addicted boyfriend. In order to help solve the drug connections to the reservation, Daunis teams up with the FBI to provide them with her authentic knowledge of Ojibwe medicine and chemistry. Digging up Sugar Island Obijwe Tribe history and secrets, Daunis is forced to face reality and wonder how far she will go to save her name and community.  Critical Analysis Boulley provides relatable family and young adult situations, as Daunis navigat...