Interview Spotlight: Jamila Abdulrashid

Welcome back!  We are looking forward to a great year delivering excellent school library services to our students at Passages and we’re thrilled to welcome Jamila Abdulrashid to our team.  Ms. Abdulrashid is the new school librarian for our school’s largest library space, Bronx Hope.  --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

JFS:  Can you tell us a little bit about what you were doing before you arrived at Bronx Hope?

JA: Prior to becoming the librarian at Passages’ Bronx Hope I was the librarian at a 3K – 8^th grade school in Harlem.  Before that I worked as a librarian in Queens and the Bronx prior to that.  My tenure in libraries began in 2004 at JHS 135 in the Bronx.

JFS: What is your favorite kind of text to read?

JA: My favorite type of text to read is informational text.  Such as how to books, biographies and self-help material.  Additionally, I do enjoy a good mystery.

JFS: What was your favorite book as a teenager?

JA: My favorite book as a teenager was the rite of passage story, Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret. I read this story at 12 or 13 years old.

JFS:  What do you like to do for fun when you’re not reading?

JA: When I am not reading I enjoy a myriad of activities that include but are not limited to, the arts, sewing, crafting, music/dancing and comedy.

JFS: What attracted you to Passages Academy?

JA:  What attracted me to Passages Academy was the possibility of influencing better choices for a population of young people that are often counted out as hopeless.  I absolutely love working with young people and nurturing their self-confidence along with their self-awareness.  It is always my hope to make a positive impact on the lives of my students and these young people need us as much as any other students.  I was asked “…why this student population?”  My response was “why not?” 

Watched by Marina Budhos

Naeem is a Muslim immigrant. He knows that his community is heavily watched by the cops. But he can’t help himself, he’s not the role model kid and he likes to hang out with his friend Ibrahim who is not necessarily the best influence. After getting caught with some stolen merchandise and abandoned by who Naeem thought was his best friend. The cops cut Naeem a deal; spy on his community instead of going to jail. This deal inevitably takes Naeem down a dark road within his own community, forcing him to make choices that will impact everyone around him. --Claudio Leon

Budhos, Marina. Watched. New York: Random House LLC, 2016. Print.

Famous Ladies Vol. I-III by Alexandra Beguez

Charming illustrations and excellent production make this series a perfect fit for incarcerated and detained youth, and school librarians may wish to order several sets to share with students.  

Each volume is printed on a single sheet of 11 x 17 lightweight cardstock and features fine-lined portraits of six historical female figures, some long since dead and some contemporary heroines.  The only text between the covers is  the names of the women, making the content fun to browse and giving the developing reader plenty of space.  The back covers feature three to four lines of handwritten text summarizing each woman’s accomplishments.

Younger readers may be confused as the descriptions are written in the present tense, however the educator can use this possible confusion to spark an inquiry project.  Highly recommended.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

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Tags: art, women’s history, zines

Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork

Sara and her brother Emiliano must make a run for the border. Sara fears for her life after discovering a dark truth connected to the disappearance of her best friend. Emiliano chooses to leave everything behind, including a new job offer that could change his life, in order to see his sister to safety. Disappeared is a great read for those that can withstand the slow-paced beginning of the book where Stork takes his time developing the characters and setting the plot. However once the pieces are in place, the book becomes a page turner as Emiliano and Sara must rely on each other to cross the deadly terrain and make it to the Mexican-American border. Students interested in underground crime syndicates and conspiracies will enjoy the overall plot and the plot twist reveals that this book delivers.--Claudio Leon

Stork, Francisco X. Disappeared. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017. Print.

One Punch Man by Yuske Murata

What if there was no opponent in the world that could withstand a single punch from you? What if you defeated every opponent you encountered with a single strike? This is what life for Saitama is like. After being attacked for protecting a young man and nearly dying, he vowed to become the strongest hero in the world. But now that he is the world’s strongest superhero and there is no one strong enough to challenge him, life seems to have lost its meaning. Until he encounters Genos, who asks to become his apprentice. Could training Genos lead Saitama to a life of fulfillment? Or will he eventually find someone strong enough to challenge the One Punch Man? Students that have finished Dragon Ball Z and are looking for more hand to hand action should pick this one up.--Claudio Leon

Murata, Yuske. One Punch Man. San Francisco: VIZ Media LLC, 2015. Print.

Guest Post: Blackout Poetry

Student creates an original blackout poem after reading selections from Kleon's Newspaper Blackout.  Photo credit: Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Student receives scaffolded support from Special Education teacher Ms. Nadel.  Photo credit: Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Student works alongside YC Ms. Sigourney and ELA teacher Mr. Villaronga to generate original blackout poetry.  Photo credit: Jessica Fenster-Sparber

On Thursday April 11 in celebration of National Poetry Month, the boys and girls of SCO high school class at Belmont participated in a Blackout Poetry activity. 

Beginning  with activating schema that got them thinking about how to make a remix, the students then watched a short video explaining the process of making blackout poems. 

Finally, using Scholastic Readers and markers,  the students created their own blackout poetry.  Then they pasted their blackout poems on construction paper and all are now displayed in their ELA classroom.--Erica Nadel