Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

“The best way to eliminate a group is to demonize them, such that their disappearance is seen as an act of justice, not discrimination.”  These words from the forward of Beyond the Gender Binary could appear in any book about New York City youth experiencing detainment.  Vaid-Menon uses this short and powerful frame to challenge the reader to shake oneself from the ignorance and complicity of transphobia.  Trans folks, non-binary people, and students with friends and family members whose identities go beyond the gender binary will find this book essential.  Which is to say: everyone. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Vaid-Menon, Alok.  Beyond the Gender Binary.  New York: Penguin Random House, 2020. ebook.

Click here for a short interview with the author from the publisher.

Guest Post: I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano

I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats offers us a sweet, humorous, and rather  bold look at how cats view their interactions with us humans and with the world around them.  I personally enjoyed the obnoxious "Man's Best Friend" and the adorable "Cute Bed Jump.”   But it’s the title poem that for me seals the deal and blows my mind as I imagine cats actually having those thoughts. 

Readers of all ages will find enjoyment between the covers of this book,  and educators will find the poems,  with their use of humor and irony,  an excellent way 

to engage students -   even those struggling  with literacy - in writing poems of their own. --E. Latham

Guest Blogger E. Latham currently teaches at Passages Academy.

Shine by Passages Academy Students

We’ve been celebrating all month long, first with Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool” and Zetta Elliot’s "We Can't Breathe" and "We Are Wise" from Say Her Name .  Then, thanks to generous funding from our partners at LIT, we gifted every student with a copy of Ink Knows No Borders.  Last week we invited students to play with language and composition with Magnetic Poetry kits, also provided by LIT, and today we’re publishing their collected compositions in Shine,  our first epub. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Ain’t Never Not Been Black by Javon Johnson

 Yes!   Your students will want to read this very of-the-moment book of poems by Dr. Javon Johnson, award-winning slam poet and Director of African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Johnson’s writing couldn’t be more accessible,  more honest, or more powerful.  Dense and tight, there is nothing extraneous here.  Highly recommended for proficient readers ages 14 and up. 

Johnson, Javon.  Ain’t Never Not Been Black.  Button Poetry, 2020. ebook.

Click here and scroll down to the third lesson for a compare and contrast lesson plan utilizing Johnson’s “Cuz He’s Black” poem and King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

Quan was only in 6th grade when he witnessed  a home invasion and his father’s arrest by the police. Without his dad around,  Quan became the one to protect his little brother and sister from their mother’s abusive boyfriend,  and his experiences led him eventually to search for family elsewhere. 

Now Quan is incarcerated and writes letters to his friend Justyce, the protagonist of  Dear Martin,  a college student with heart who is determined to help his friend. 

Detained youth looking for a contemporary story of incarceration and happy endings will enjoy Dear Justyce.  While it is Nic Stone’s sequel to Dear Martin, it holds up to a stand-alone reading.  Recommended for 8th grade and up.   In the audiobook the author reads her forward, and the smooth voice of Dion Graham  narrates the story.  You can listen to a sample here.  Click here for a teaching guide to the two titles.   --Jessica Fenster-Sparber.

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

 

Pulga and Chico are two Guatemalan cousins  who are as close as brothers.  One day they are in the back of Don Feliciano’s store moving some boxes for him,  when they witness his murder at the hands of Rey,  the brother of a local bully. 

 

The two cousins fear Rey will come after them and they dream of leaving Guatemala for the US.    While they plan their escape,  their cousin Pequena,  who has given birth to a baby she doesn’t want to keep,  fears Rey who is claiming the baby and promising to “help”. 

 

To escape Rey and his continuing sexual assaults,   Pequena joins her two cousins as the three decide to risk taking La Bestia,  the dangerous train that runs north/south through Mexico and has cost the lives of many other desperate immigrants.

 

This relevant and sensitive novel by Brooklyn-born author Jenny Torres Sanchez,  builds empathy and understanding among strong readers who can make the 348 page journey. 

 

Recommended independent reading for 10th grade and up.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Torres Sanchez, Jenny.  We Are Not From Here. New York: Philomel Books, 2020.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

After an airplane crash on its way to the Dominican Republic takes their father, Yahaira and Camino’s worlds are thrown onto a collision course. Neither of them knew that their families helped their father keep such a big secret from them. Yahaira now begins to understand why her father left her every summer. Camino now understands why her father never took her to New York. Both now question if their father ever loved one more than the other. They struggle with learning that although they have lost their father, they each have gained a new sister.  In general this book is a must read, from the story to its characters to the cultural perspective. It all comes together to bring a powerful narrative.--Claudio Leon

Acevedo, Elizabeth. Clap When you Land. New York: Quill Tree Books, 2020. Print.

Click here for some thoughts and resources for teaching this title from Danielle Hall.

What's next

 

Are we excited for poetry month! What month is that you ask? April of course! And all of our students will be participating in a poetry-activity filled month. The highlight of which will include a gift to each of their NSD/NSP/LSP houses of a magnetic poetry kit Original Edition. Students will use the poetry kits to create individual and group poems which we hope to compile and publish digitally at the end of the month. --Claudio Leon

Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience Edited by Patrice Vecchione and Alyssa Raymond

 

“You called twice a month,/ then your cousin said the gang you ran from/ in San Salvador/ found you in Alexandria.  Farewell/”   Javier Zamora’s “Second Attempt Crossing.”

In 64 breathtaking poems, writers invite readers to see the refugee, migrant, and immigrant navigating the experience of leaving, fleeing, crossing, arriving, moving, and living here in mainland America.  As the editors note in their forward, “[w]riting poetry will help you realize that you are stronger than you thought you were and that within your tenderness is your fortitude.” These poems document that.  

High school students and their teachers will find much to explore, discuss, and love from poets familiar (Martin Espada, Ocean Vuong, Gary Soto, Elizabeth Acevedo) and new-to-classrooms (Zamora, Emtithal Mahmoud, Craig Santos Perez, Leila Chatti among others.) Themes of isolation, self-doubt, confusion and dislocation are undoubtedly relatable to many of us, and to students experiencing incarceration and detention.  The variety of voices and perspectives that were born in Asia, Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East means that there is so much to learn and listen from.  To best envision the bridges they wish to build, the educator utilizing this book may be interested to review the brief contributor biographies that are included in the backmatter to learn more about the poets and find both connection points for their readers and experiences and identities not included in their classroom composition. This reviewer-librarian only wishes that there was an audiobook to accompany the print.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Joker by Brian Azzarello Illustrated by Lee Bermejo

Ever wanted to follow around a bad guy and see what his day to day is like? What if that bad guy was the Joker? In this graphic novel we step into the shoes of Johnny Frost, who is sent to pick up Joker on his release from Arkham Asylum. Johnny, who has always wanted to rise to the top of the underworld of Gotham City, is excited yet fearful at the opportunity to meet Joker. What follows is a nightmare ride as Johnny drives Joker around town to take back what he lost when he was incarcerated. Using every means at his disposal Joker creates mayhem everywhere Johnny takes him. As the story unfolds we begin to realise why Joker belonged at the asylum in the first place. Students who are Batman, and Superman fans should be sure to pick this up as it gives a unique perspective of one of DCs most notorious villains. --Claudio Leon

Azzarello, Brian. Joker. New York: DC Comics, 2019. Print

Brave. Black. First. 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World by Cheryl Willis Hudson, Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson

Where to begin? The art? The featured women? The succinct amount of information? Brave. Black. First. is the perfect balance of visual and informational text for a reader reading on a middle-school level and above. Each of the featured women in the book has a full page portrait adjacent to a short biographical page. The selected subjects include both historical and contemporary black women of varying renown. Sojourner Truth, Serena Williams and Ava DuVernay are just a few examples of the wide range of women included. The inclusion of mixed heritage women is also welcomed to provide a mixed-race aspect for the reader. Students who love art, history, or that want to learn about female historical figures should be sure to pick this one up.--Claudio Leon

Hudson, Cheryl W., Brave. Black. First. 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World. New York: Penguin Random House LLC, 2020. Print.

It's Official: Passages' Students Book Named to Top Ten & listed in School Library Journal's February 2021 Issue

 It's official:  Passages' students' book, Everything I Been Through, has been selected as one of the ten best books for marginalized youth by In the Margins' annual list.  You can read all about it here.

Our partners as 826NYC have kindly made the publication available to all with an internet connection via Issuu.  You can now read Everything I Been through here. 

Very special thanks to 826NYC's Volunteer and Community Coordinator, Summer, for doing that!--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Congratulations!

The heartiest of congratulations to our students, mostly former, whose publication, Everything I Been Through, has been selected as one of the top ten titles for the 2021 In the Margins booklist!  We are so proud of you: Ezequiel, Jonathan, Logan, Kymani, Efaree, Andrew, Zaid, Jerry Lewis, Marcus, Joshua, Stanley, Rasheen, Domonique, Indika, Shaquille, Jared, Taylor, Judah, Melahki, Kylik, Andres, Christian, Quashawn, Maximus, Jamaud, and Maurice.

Published one year ago this week, Everything I Been Through comprises roughly two dozen student voices in one beautiful, slim volume published by 826NYC.  The writing grew from creative writing workshops taught in the fall of November 2019 and December 2019 by visiting teaching artists Vanessa Freedman and Emily Pollock, who collaborated with Belmont's faculty, centrally Ms. Erica Nadel, Ms. Jessica Ernyey, Ms. Nelli Bespalova-Carter, Ms. Melissa Amitrano, and Mr. Bret Senft, as well as Ms. Elaine Latham, Reading Specialist Hermithe Bernard, and Speech Language Pathologist Lori Ikawa, under the leadership of Assistant Principal Ron Carter and Co-Principals Yvette Baxter-Sweet and Shareef Rashid.

From ITM: "In the Margins’ charge seeks to highlight the best fiction and non-fiction titles (Pre-K through Adult) of high-interest appeal for readers ages 9-21, with a preference for marginalized books (small, independent press or self-published).  [Their] primary focus is on the narratives and informational text the disproportionality of injustices caused to BIPOC youth from the historical impact of cultural irrelevance and structural exclusion which often find members of these diverse ethnicities navigating through and living disproportionately in poverty, in the streets, in custody, or in a cycle of all three." 

We look forward to the official publication of the list on February 9th and will post the link here when it's up.  Very special thanks once again to Literacy for Incarcerated Teens for providing the crucial funding that made this partnership possible.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Big Read Kickoff Tomorrow!

 

The Passages’ BIG Read kicks off January 14th! The book? Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.  Students will have the opportunity to read together with one another, and all who choose to participate.  They will receive fresh assignments in their digital library classrooms each day through February 10th.  We invite parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, staff and members of the community at large to join us in fostering literacy through a shared read at every site where Passages’ students currently reside. 

Many thanks to the generous anonymous donors, The Hank Young Memorial Foundation, and Literacy for Incarcerated Teens for providing the critical funding to purchase the books for our entire student body, and to everyone at ACS and Passages who pitched in to ensure that a copy of the book made it to every student at every site.

Please join us! --Passages Academy Library Team

Waving goodbye to 2020 + Preparations

What a year it's been.  We'll be back in 2021 with a school-wide read that won't surprise anyone.  In preparation for reading a book together across so many sites while in fully-remote-mode, my colleagues Claudio Leon and Jamila Abdulrashid are making magic happen:  converting hardcovers (contraband) to softcovers (not-contraband) for our secure students for winter gifting.  

We are wishing you a good break from whatever you're getting a break from!--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Stress-free e-reading

 

We are happy to share that some of students' favorite stress free reads are now available on Sora, thanks to Literacy for Incarcerated Teens (LIT). Students can now lose themselves in the cuteness of Boo, the wonderment of the Power of Birthdays, the inspiration of Kwame Alexander's life lessons, and the hilarity of joke books.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Hello!

Hello readers! This is the PAL Team posting with a quick update. Once again the team is working remotely. We are getting ready to engage students in a Stress Free eReading project during the month of December. The team will guide and encourage students to use the ereading app Sora to checkout books we have curated with the specific purpose of reading to relieve stress, which we all know can be overwhelming during the holidays. In the meantime, stay tuned for more updates and book reviews.--Claudio Leon

Farewell

Another school year gone by. And what a year it’s been as we have all faced new challenges along the way. While we prepare for our summer break from posting we are hoping everyone  is staying safe. With all the uncertainties that we face, we will return in the fall with more reviews and updates about our libraries. Have a wonderful and safe summer. --the PAL team

Congratulations!

Please join me in cheering for Passages Academy’s Library team, runner-up for ALA’s Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation Through Adversity!  The award recognizes U. S. libraries and librarians who create lasting innovative community service programs that successfully inspire and connect with new readers.  That certainly describes my colleagues Ms. Abdulrashid, Mr. Leon, and Ms. Roberts.  

And let’s keep the cheering going for the award winner, The Lillian Marrero Library!  Their community programming in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and their wellness programming are so inspiring.  Click here to read more, including the names of our fellow runners up.  Congratulations to all of you.  I am very much looking forward to learning more about your work.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

If You Only Buy One Book This Year, Let it Be This One

The Passages Academy Library Team is reading Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. We have invited the entire school staff to participate in a discussion this Thursday because the title could not be more relevant during this time. I mean, when it comes to racism and race (which is an everyday struggle) it is a must piece of literature. But right now it is especially relevant. If you only spend money on a single book this whole year, this is it. --Claudio Leon

Piloting Remote School Library Services to Detained Youth

During this time of Covid-19, Passages Academy Libraries has begun piloting phone-based school library services to youth in detention.  We look forward to sharing more details with you in the weeks ahead. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

    

Ninja Plants : Survival and Adaptation in the Plant World by Wiley Blevins

With stories of ballistic explosions,  plant hormones,  plant fakery,  and Alnwick’s Poison Garden,  author Blevins engages curious readers in the danger and wonder of the plant world in his book Ninja Plants.  

Although his anthropomorphic comparisons are sometimes a bit thin,  Blevins never fails to show readers the fascinating aspects of plants’  survival mechanisms.  

Written on an 8th - 9th grade level,  the text supports Living Environment instruction through developing the reader’s schema around plant reproduction,  characteristics of living organisms,  and an introduction to concepts like thigonasty,  mimicry and horizontal gene transfer.   Recommended for science educators looking for trade books to supplement curriculum.  -- Jessica Fenster-Sparber 

Hercules: The Twelve Labors: A Greek Myth by Paul Storrie, illustrated by Steve Kurth

Fans of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief series may enjoy this Paul Storrie full-color graphic novel about the twelve labors of Hercules.  The strength of this version on Sora is the Lerner’s Audisee format  that gives the reader the option to hear the novel read aloud,  while simultaneously in the text each sentence is highlighted in red.  This feature helps make Hercules accessible to anyone who finds names like “Erytheus” and “Hippolyta” tricky to pronounce.  

Renderings of the monsters that Hercules encounters are highlights of the illustrator’s otherwise serviceable  art.  Yet ELA teachers may wish to assign this text because of its accessibility,  and both ENL students and developing readers could benefit from the audio support.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Bioluminescence: Nature and Science at Work by Marc Zimmer

For students with an interest in what makes things glow,  Bioluminescence will shed a light on what scientists know about how living things light up!

In 7 concise chapters and 72 pages,  Zimmer lures the reader in with an excellent selection of intriguing and well-captioned photographs.  The text builds the readert’s knowledge of how bioluminescence works as it roots the reader in scientific terminology and an explanation of how light functions.  

Author Zimmer balances the science with references to famous historical figures like the scientist Benjamin Franklin  and the historian Pliny the Elder,  as well as telling  intriguing stories of experiments with  animals that use  fluorescence.   The reader will learn that scientists are using this knowledge to seek treatments for cancer, malaria, chagas, dengue fever and other dread diseases. 

Recommended for students who are confident readers,  those interested in science, as well as those intrigued by The Deep.  Science teachers may wish to assign selections of the text as students study cells and learn about scientific research past and present.  

Backmatter includes a glossary,  index,  photo credits,  source notes,  and links and books for further information.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Zimmer, Marc.  Bioluminescence: Nature and Science at Work.  Twenty First Century/Lerner, 2015.  Ebook accessed via Sora.

Digital Library Resources: Sora, Passages’ New Digital Library Platform!

Today Passages launches its digital library platform available through Overdrive’s Sora.  Sora makes it possible for our detained and incarcerated students to read library ebooks safely and return them efficiently.  We understand that not all of our students are currently connected to Google Classrooms, but those who are now accessing distance learning are doing so on individual chromebooks

Passages teachers can access these materials as well, of course.  We would like to thank Mr. Garvey, our school’s tech specialist, for all of his work setting this up during this difficult time.  In the days ahead we will publish reviews of the collection we build and highlight some of Sora’s most exciting features .  --Jamila Abdulrashid, Claudio Leon, and Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Digital Library Resources: myON

myON provides tools to support readers on a variety of levels. There are quizzes at the end of a book to assess and increase comprehension, a dictionary, audio reader, journal and much more. Illustrations are vibrant and the audio is engaging in each of the fiction and non-fiction text across all topics and themes.  Click below to keep reading and log on.

Digital Library Resources: Junior Library Guild

The NYC Department of Education has begun a distance learning effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.  

We,  the Passages Academy school librarians,  are considering our students’ needs and  hope they will have access to wi-fi in the days and weeks ahead.  

However,  at last word the students did not have access from their residences and detention centers,  and thus we hope that will change as soon as possible.

For now  we’re working hard to create the best library and information resources for our students,  and hope to have a digital school library platform

 available by the end of the week.  

In the meantime, Junior Library Guild has generously made their ebook collections available to all.  Their selections of approximately 40 items for elementary, middle, and high school readers include a Passages favorite, The Nazi Hunters , as well as the intriguing Unusual Creatures and several biographies, including Heather E. Schwartz’s Lin Manuel Miranda: Revolutionary Playwright, Composer and Actor and a biography-in-context from World Book on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Click here to start reading. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Update: Coronavirus

Hello readers!

The Passages Academy Library Team would like to tell everyone that we are here during this challenging time we all face with the Covid-19 virus. Please continue to check in as we will continue our efforts to publish resources for our readers. 

We urge you to stay safe, and take great care of yourselves.--Claudio Leon, Jamila Abdulrashid, and Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Programming Spotlight: Drumfolk

Belmont chaperones at the New Victory Theater.  Photo credit: Njeri Johnson-Smalls

Last Friday most of Passages Academy's Belmont site attended a performance of Drumfolk at the New Victory Theater.   Exclaimed one student in a post-performace evaluation, "They could get lit!"--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Programming Spotlight: Drumfolk Pre-theater Workshops

Teaching artists Tyler and Will instruct St. John's students and teacher Elaine Latham in step dance movement.

Teaching artist Jaime and teacher Wanda Carter observe a student demonstrating footwork.

Dancing in the library!  Students learned about step dance, the Stono Rebellion, and the Negro Act of 1740 from extraordinarily talented New Vic teaching artists Signey Harriday, P. Tyler Britt, Ana Cantoran Viramontes, Jamie Roach and Will Seefried yesterday and today. The six sessions of pre-theater workshops were the highlight of instructional preparation for a trip to the New Victory Theater later this week.  Said one student "I was glad they came."  Another participant wrote on a program evaluation "This s*** was fire."  Experiential learning at its best.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson with Artwork by R. Gregory Christie

No Crystal Stair tells the inspiring story of businessman, bookseller, and activist Lewis Michaux who started the first black bookstore in the country and was the Harlem haunt of Malcolm X.  Told through many voices and perspectives, and thoroughly researched, the book is accessible and compelling for readers interested in history. Highly recommended for interdisciplinary co-teaching and middle and high school book clubs.  Includes research notes, family tree, source notes, bibliography, index, and suggestions for further reading.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

New Release: Everything I Been Through

Out today:  Everything I Been Through.  An anthology published by 826NYC with crucial funding  provided by Literacy for Incarcerated Teens.  This publication of student writing marks the culmination of the Born A Crime interdisciplinary unit students engaged in this fall.  A publishing party organized by our incredible Social Studies teacher, Celestine Thomas, here at Belmont brought the authors and artists together to celebrate yesterday.  Belmont's amazing Art teacher, Ms. Bespalova, displayed students' African masks along the bookcase tops.  --Jessica Fenster-Sparber