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Welcome to the Library Media Center   Teen Programs and manga club at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno branch. Click here for the library.  Ms. Thompson, shelving books!
 
Ms. Thompson at the Book Fair entrance 2007 and 2008. Rock On!
Meet your librarian:Hi, I'm Pamela Thompson, Library Media Specialist. I am so happy to meet all the new students and returning students. Please stop by and see me. Growing up, I was a "military brat" and traveled to Germany, Okinawa, and many U.S. states with my family. I spent my college years at UTEP and received a B.S. in education and taught middle school and high school English for 18 years. Then I went to the University of North Texas and earned my Masters in library science. This will be my 6th year as a librarian and my fourth year here at Ensor Middle School. I love to read (after all, I am a librarian) and I often read several books at a time. I enjoy spy/espionage, thrillers, police and detective novels, true crime novels, sci-fi, fantasy, and almost anything. My favorite teen reads are: Speak, Twilight, Go Ask Alice, Sea of Monsters, Skeleton Key, and Peeps. In adult fiction, I loved Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird and anything by author James Lee Burke--he writes about crime in New Orleans and New Iberia Parish in Louisiana. I have one daughter who is a sophomore in high school this year. She loves to dance and sing (loudly, sometimes). Her name is Shelby, and she really loved the book Twilight. In fact, she has read all four books by Stephenie Meyer and attended the midnight preview party for Breaking Dawn at Barnes and Noble. I am married to a retired military man who spent 22 years in the army. His name is Larry, and he enjoys reading, working outside, and building stuff. He built a gazebo in our backyard, and loves to build fountains. We currently have four fountains in our backyard. He plans to build a small fish pond and waterfall soon. I enjoy time off (who doesn't), swimming, reading (of course), being lazy, cooking and entering cooking contests, entertaining friends, traveling to Las Vegas and Florida, and watching the Food Network and HGTV. I also enjoy watching the t.v. shows "Breaking Bad," "Survivor," "Big Brother," "Project Runway," and shows about vampires (not the scary kind, the helpful, soulful kind like Moonlight). I hope to meet all of you soon. And remember, keep reading... Awards and Grants: Humanities Texas Grant, 2006--$1500.00 Award for Flood Victims: Ms. Thompson awarded the Texas Humanities grant for John Ensor Library Texas Library Association and National Association of School Librarians: 2007: Stipend $1500.00 awarded to Ms. Thompson to attend the National Convention of School Librarians, Reno, NV, October 2007 Nova magazine, UTEP alumni magazine, reports Ms. Thompson's scholarship from the National Association of School Librarians, April 2008. Ms. Thompson is currently representing all middle school librarians on the Socorro district's LIT (Library Instructional Team) 2008-2009 Picturing America Grant 2009-2010 from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for Humanities awarded to Col. John O. Ensor Library for promotion of humanities in the classrooms. My Review of "Shiver" published on www.abookandahug.com to read it, click here Baltimore Public Library blog Enter our wiki page
Watch our Wild About Books animoto video Most Frequently checked out 2009  Exciting news! The Red Pyramid (Book One, The Kane Chronicles) available now at the library!
Read a sneak peek of Chapter One click here
************************  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
by Jeff Kinney.
Amulet Books, 2009.
217 pages.
Just posted to my blog at http://booksbypamelathompson.blogspot.com/
Funnier than the first two installments, this third book in the series is Jeff Kinney at his comic best. The plot line follows Greg Heffley during the school year; Kinney's illustrations are laugh out loud funny and goofy. The author has tapped into the middle school brain of a nerdy, wimpy kid. Greg and his best friend Rawley have grand plans for the year--they put together a time capsule and bury it in Rawley's yard. The note on the outside reads: "Do not open until time travel is possible." Just a few days later, in withdrawal stages from junk food, Greg digs it back up to retrieve the $3.00 he buried--he buys chips, a soda, and candy. So much for the time capsule.
Greg is now responsible for doing his own laundry, and in typical teen boy style, he decides he has enough clothes to last the entire school year if he wears everything in his closet. Late in the year, he is running out of clothes, especially underwear! He finally breaks down and wears the last pair--a pair of Wonder Woman underoos that were given to him at Christmas as a gag gift from his Uncle Charlie. Imagine the giggles when Greg's pants fall down and his underoos are exposed to the world!
Greg spends every waking moment planning how to say "hi" to a girl he likes. He never does get up the nerve, but it's pitifully funny to see him squirm. Greg's dad is on a mission to "de-wimpify" his son and it includes sending Greg to military school. Greg needs a plan and he needs one fast! Follow the hysterical adventures of Greg Heffley--your average wimpy kid. The movie of the first book is due out March 19--if it can capture Greg's sense of humor, it should be the first hit of the movie season. Recommended for all collections, grades 4 and up. Suitable for high school readers who like humor. ****************************************** Candor by Pam Bachorz click here for the book trailer created by Ms. Thompson, LMS 
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New in the library: Watch a video booktalk of (click on the book title) The Hunger Games a novel by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire, book two by Suzanne Collins click here Watch the book trailer for Catching Fire
WE have 5 copies of Catching Fire  *************
Check out this book in the library!
New Books in the Library for August 2010:
The Red Pyramid-Rick Riordan's newest book The Dead Tossed Waves-Part Two in the series The Forest of Hands and Teeth Diary of A Wimpy Kid Movie Diary World War Z-Zombie War! The Zombie Survival Guide Crush: A Girl's Guide to Being Crazy in Love
Drawing the New Adventure Cartoons--drawing cool spies, evil guys, and action heroes
Crocodile Tears--teen spy Alex Rider's latest adventure --Ms. Thompson says, "this book is a rockin' good read!"
Shiver
--part "Twilight," part "Beauty and the Beast," this book will make you
Shiver ... read an excerpt from Shiver, click here read Ms. Thompson's review for Shiver, click here *****************************
The Devouring, book one--"A must-read for horror fans--part Stephen King, part R.L. Stine."--School Library Journal Soulstice, book two --"A scary yarn spun at breakneck speed, perfect for those winter nights."--Kirkus
Evermore--a great read. visit the author's website
Dragon Knights (manga series)- fantastic! The Compound--terrifying; visit my blog to read review
The Forest of Hands and Teeth--gruesome, yet great!
Tomorrow, When the War Began --teenagers in Austrailia fight to save their homes against an invasion of an enemy army! "fast-paced, thrilling adventure!" Books 1-7 in the library NOW
The Last Olympian (part 5 of the Perseus Jackson series) by Rick Riordan --Go to the author' s website ************************** Fashion Alert for Summer Because of the influence of the movie "Sex in the City" and "Prince of Persia," look for ethnic trends--baggy harem pants, tunics, ethnic inspired prints, Grecian sandals, gold necklaces lots of floral prints flirty cap sleeves animal prints-grrrrl power! ********************************* Resources for teachers: For teachers-- use this link to access DKC Compton's training ***************  Turn the pages of a good book...you never know what you'll find...
****************** For entrance into DKC and Encyclopedia Britannica click research help 
Cinderella's castle- Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida 
Ms. Licon at the Reading Rainforest entrance.
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Hold My Book If you want the library to hold a book for you, simply fill in the form, save it to your desktop, email it as an attachment to pthomp@sisd.net click on hold my book.doc for the form Hold My Book Form.doc Lifelong learning and reading fun  ********************************************* |  Cowboys News Coach Wade Phillips will be back one more year. The Cowboys ended their season with a loss to the Vikings. New Orleans defeats Indy in the Superbowl! |
Big News! More new books: Bone : the Dragonslayer The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies Pride and Prejudice and Zombies The Tomorrow Code Mythopedia: A look-it-up Guide to the Gods of Mythology Click here to read an interview with the author of Wimpy Kid ************ Now at the video store: "UP" a wonderful tale from Pixar--good reviews, great entertainment for the entire family ************* "Where the Wild Things Are" movie trailer Now showing on dvd. "Let the wild rumpus start!" Beautifully executed film by director Spike Jonze. Not for children under nine years old.click here for the interview with Maurice Sendak ******************** Also on video : "Cloudy With a Slight Chance of Meatballs" click here for the trailer "Shorts" now on video --reviews say kids will love this movie click here for the trailer Movie Now showing at Cinemark Theaters: "Prince of Persia" "Dear John" "Letters to Juliet" Blockbuster Debut of "New Moon" now showing on dvd at your video store click here for the movie's official website ********************* Watch for Rick Riordan's "The Lightning Thief" in theaters now. Read the book at the library--we have many copies to loan! click here for movie preview "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Watch the trailer here ********************* Coming this summer to a theater near you: Opens June 30: "Eclipse" see the movie trailer here For books and book ideas: El Paso Public Library's Teen Hang-out Teen Hang-out El Paso Public Library For books and book reviews, search Amazon For ideas on what to "The Last Song" starring Miley Cyrus from bestsellling novel by Nicholas Sparks. read next, click here YALSA's Top Ten Teen Reads--check out this list to get ideas of books to read Check out Teen Reads for the latest in young adult books and which books are being made into movies, click here Create your own | Request books for the Library to Buy...If you want to read a book and the library doesn't have a copy, what do you do? NOW click on this link Ensor Library Media Center Book Request Form.doc Fill it in, select all, cut and paste it to a word doc., save in word, email the document as an attachment, and send it to pthomp@sisd.net 
********************* New in the Library New policies and procedures are in place: 1. To check out a book, you must show your student i.d. card. If you have lost yours, you must get it replaced. See the Student Center. 2. A student may check out two items at a time with a student picture i.d. card. Lunch cards are not accepted. Parents may check out two items at a time with a valid state driver's license. 3. If you owe late fees, you must pay them before you may check out another item. 4. If you have lost a book, please make arrangements to pay for it. You will not be able to check out another book until your account is clear. We would like students to be more responsible with Library materials. Please take care of all items that you borrow. We appreciate your support. See you at the Library! ********************** You can play board games in the Library Media Center before school and at lunch. We have Connect 4, Scrabble, checkers, chess, Monopoly, Sorry, Trouble, Last Word, Uno and Mancala. Ask for a game next time you visit.  pthomp@sisd.net | Teen People in the News  Lindsey Lohan in trouble again. Lindsey has to wear a monitor bracelet. Judge in her case is angry!
Album of the Year: Taylor Swift "Fearless" Song of the Year: Beyonce "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" Pop Vocal Album: Black Eyed Peas "The E.N.D." New Artist: Zac Brown Band Female Pop Vocal Performance: Beyonce "Halo" Rock Album: Green Day "21st Century Breakdown" Country Album: Taylor Swift "Fearless" Golden Globe Awards: January 16, 2010 Robert Downey Jr. actor/ drama for "Sherlock Holmes" Meryl Streep for actress/ comedy "Julie and Julia" Sandra Bullock for actress/ drama "The Blind Side" Best Picture: drama: "Avatar" Best Picture: musical or comedy: "The Hangover" Best Animated Film: "Up" "Glee" tv series: comedy or musical People's Choice Awards January 6, 2010-- Favorite Movie Star of the Decade: Johnny Depp Favorite break-out star: Miley Cyrus Taylor Lautner Favorite Movie: "Twilight" Favorite comedy star: Sandra Bullock Producers Guild Of America Awards nominated "Avatar," "District 9," and "Star Trek" for best picture. "Up" is also nominated. Last year, nominees by the PGA also earned the most coveted of film awards: the Oscar for best picture. Taylor Swift is chosen top female artist of the year by Billboard Magazine. Country Music Awards: Taylor Swift is Entertainer of the Year Teen Choice Awards Teen Hotties: Robert Pattinson and Megan Fox Actress: Music/Dance Movie: Miley Cyrus in "Hannah Montana, the Movie" Music/Single: Miley Cyrus "The Climb" Teen Pick: Britney Spears for a list of all winners, click here Grammy Awards: Best new artist: Adele Best pop vocal album : Duffy Best female country perfomance: Carrie Underwood Best Metal Performance: Metallica for more information on this year's winners, click here ************************************ "Eclipse" opens this summer. Vampires vs werewolves! American singer Katy Perry and British comedian Russell Brand are now engaged. Jonas brothers guitarist weds girlfriend in fairy tale wedding with thousands of flowers and toasts from both brothers. Miley Cyrus tops the charts with hot new single and even hotter--some say too hot--video. Check it out--"Can't be Tamed" For more on Miley Cyrus, go to www.mileycyrus.com *************
| Book Review
This book reviewed by a student: Genesis Alpha: A Thriller 
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 11, 2007
There's a quote on the front of GENESIS ALPHA from author Kenneth Oppel: "Dark, dangerous, and utterly riveting." I couldn't agree more. The words "a thriller" are what convinced me to pick up the book; the fact that I was so deeply engrossed in the story and superb writing were what kept me reading for the next few hours as I devoured it in one sitting.
Josh is a typical teen who isn't actually, well, typical. Although he's like any number of teen boys in that the better part of his day is spent playing an online computer game named Genesis Alpha, and that he aspires to grow up to be just like his older brother, Max, and even has a pretty normal home life, there's one thing that sets him apart from everyone else - Josh is a "designer baby."
Specifically created in the hopes of saving his brother from a deadly form of cancer, Josh was once a small group of cells that were chosen because of their genetic makeup. When he was born, the healing cells from his umbilical cord were transplanted into his brother, and Max eventually became cancer-free. So the bond between these two brothers is stronger than most.
Except now Josh's world is falling apart. Where he once thought everything about his life was, if not routine than at least normal, now he's discovering that things are never really what they seem. Max has been accused of a horrible crime - murdering a college girl. His father, a psychologist, and his mother, a biologist, are just as shocked as Josh is when they learn the charges against their oldest child. After all of the years of watching Max fight for life, and the tears and turmoil of waiting to see if Josh would be his cure, now he's sitting in jail, facing murder charges? The entire family is in shock.
Josh, though, more than any of them, is finding out things that he wishes he had never known. There's a strange girl hiding out in the cat shed behind their house, and the story she has to tell him is one he at first rejects outright, and later has no choice but to take as fact. And it all revolves around Genesis Alpha, the game that both Josh and Max devoted so much time to. How is it that something that brought Josh so much joy could be the very thing that will show him the horrors of the world - and the deceitful double life of his brother?
Rune Michaels has written a chillingly good thriller with GENESIS ALPHA. With action that never stops, a storyline that is all too believable, and flawless writing, she has managed to write a story that will captivate you from the first page. With Josh and Max, she has created a bond that was created by science and will be tested with pure human compulsion - and the existence of evil. This is a great read for anyone who loves a good thriller. I personally can't wait to read more stories in this vein from the very talented Ms. Michaels.
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" See more reviews at amazon.com Read Ms. Thompson's review: Genesis Alpha Science, medicine, ethical questions, and the age-old struggle of good vs. evil collide in the debut novel by Rune Michaels. Josh worships his older brother Max. He emulates his clothing, his taste in music, reading, and their favorite on-line role-playing game, Genesis Alpha. When Max is accused of murder, Josh knows the police are wrong. As the evidence mounts, Josh uncovers a secret that will change everything. Josh was born so doctors could use his stem cells to save his older brother's life. Josh begins to question -if he was never born, then Max would have died and there would have been no murder. This page-turner will have readers engrossed and captivated. A quick read at 208 pages, this is a must read for all teens. You will have trouble putting this book down! Genesis Alpha is a great read for a teen book club or a reading class, as discussions over medicine and ethics are sure to provoke teens to think about issues of what is right and wrong and what happens if medicine goes too far. (published on LM_NET listserv)
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Book Review-The Hunger Games 
| |  Hungry for the next book!!, October 7, 2008
The story itself is scary...to think that such a concept could be born and carried out is unsettling, but, unfortuantely believable. I'm not a person who likes blood and gore and this book is sometimes violent and gory, however, not to the point that I was too grossed out to read on. The romance added just enough additional struggle to keep me addicted.
I would classify The Hunger Games writing as excellent. As you read you can easily visualize the characters and what's taking place. I am sooooo looking forward to the second book. |
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Webpage by Pamela Thompson Questions or comments? 
pthomp@sisd.net Library Media Specialist Image from www.clipart.com Animations from www.animation-station.com/ Last Update 06/03/10
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