Building Bridges with Public Library Partners

             Bronx Hope students at NYPL's Macomb's Bridge branch,  Photo credit: Jamila Abdulrashid.

As we wind down the school year we hope to build bridges to New York City’s 3  wonderful public libraries for everyone at Passages this spring and summer.  Students at Bronx Hope visited New York Public Library’s Macomb’s Bridge Branch in early May to learn about the services offered there by NYPL  librarian Anisha Huffman, 

Students at Belmont received a visit from librarian Magdalena Johnson of Queens Public Library who delivered library cards, bookmarks, and stickers while teaching students about the service available to them.  And Brooklyn Public Library librarian Johana Lewis sent Brooklyn Public Library cards to all students who registered.  

Students seemed eager to visit recording studios, check out youth spaces in physical library branches, and to use their cards to access Culture Passes,  digital books,  and ebooks through Sora while on home passes or once they return home.  

Thank you to our three public library partners!  And an enormous shout out and thank you to the Queens Library librarians including Ms. Johnson and Ms. Hartman who have made bi-monthly visits to our students at Crossroads where no school library services currently exist.--Jamila Abdulrashid and Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe by Garth Ennis & Jonathan Maberry, Illustrated by Doug Braithwaite & Goran Parlov

 

In this Punisher tale the Avengers and the X-Men save the island of Manhattan from yet another apocalyptic catastrophe. Unfortunately among the collateral damage are Frank Castle’s wife and child.  With nothing left to lose,  and backed by a cabal with unlimited resources, Frank decides to live up to his superhero name and begins to dismantle every superpowered character in the Marvel Universe. 

Each kill brings the Punisher closer to his goal, but pushes Frank Castle further away from his humanity. Will his hunger for vengeance be satisfied, or will it consume him entirely? 

Action-packed from the very start, this collection brings together two storylines in which the Punisher is pitted against the entire Marvel Universe. Readers who enjoy dark, gritty stories, and all fans of the Punisher will find this a compelling read.--Claudio Leon

Ennis, Garth. Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe. New York: Marvel Entertainment LLC, 2024. Print.

Fantastic Four: Solve Everything by Jonathan Hickman, Illustrated by Dale Eaglesham

What is the cost of solving all the problems of the universe to create a world with no hunger, no enmity, and no war?  Mr. Fantastic, one of the most brilliant minds in existence, soon discovers that task carries a price he may not be willing to pay. 

Filled with well-paced action, intertwined timelines, and multi-dimensional travel, Fantastic Four: Solve Everything explores how Marvel’s first family confronts the challenges faced by superpowered individuals tasked with solving galactic-scale problems. 

Readers seeking more than just nonstop action and who would like a deeper insight into the Fantastic Four’s family dynamics should be sure to pick this one up!--Claudio Leon

Hickman, Jonathan. Fantastic Four: Solve Everything. New York: Marvel Entertainment LLC, 2025. Print.

Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls

Anyone interested in history is sure to be riveted by the story of Robert Smalls,  a little-known enslaved African-American sailor who became a true Civil War hero.

Over the course of 4 chapters and 128 pages screenwriter Rob Edwards and a bevy Marvel and DC Comics artists bring this inspiring piece of American history to the attention of today’s audiences.  

Their collective storytelling is framed through a generational lens featuring Robert Smalls himself as the narrator of his heroic story.  The narrative will appeal to history lovers of all ages, fans of the Sixth Gun series, and comic fans reading at middle school levels and above. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls

Edwards, Rob.  Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls.  Stranger Comics, 2025.