We have another book review to share from one of our teen volunteers. Here is Adharsha’s review of Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

A beautiful and poignant novel written partly in verse, Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree highlights the injustices occurring in Nigeria and stars a young, intelligent Nigerian girl, fondly called “Ya-Ta” by her friends. Ya-ta works hard both at home and in school, and despite the poor conditions of her town, she has big dreams for herself. However, her entire world turns upside down when she is captured and comes face to face with the cruelty of Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that causes Ya-Ta to face unspeakable struggles and horrors.

Ya-Ta’s story of struggle and perseverance is one that inspires and never fails to move the reader. The admirable personality of Ya-Ta combined with the beautiful and poetic format in which Nwaubani has written this novel has produced a riveting piece of literature. I was also surprised and saddened to see that it is based on the stories of real escapees from Boko Haram; the novel truly exposed me to the reality of the violence and cruelty that Boko Haram incites upon innocent people, especially on women. Nwaubani combines fiction with reality, hitting many serious topics while providing a gripping story that is a must-read for all young adults. I would recommend this to any enthusiastic reader, as I was hooked from beginning to end, and I know anyone who reads this will be too.

Rating: 20/10

If you’re in grades 7-12, love to read & share your thoughts on books, and would like to earn some community service hours writing book reviews for our blog, sign up for our next Virtual Volunteer Training!

Hey teens! Do you love Great British Bakeoff, dream of being a Top Chef, or just want to help your parents out with dinner sometimes? Check out our upcoming series of cooking classes on Zoom with Julie Manning!

Our first class will be on Thursday, February 4th at 5:00 pm. Julie will teach you how to make a delicious Baked Macaroni and Cheese for 4. You provide the ingredients and stove, and she will provide the know-how, and you’ll get to enjoy a delicious meal you prepared yourself!

Check it out, and keep an eye out for what’s cooking each month, from now until May, on the first Thursday at 5:00. Bon apetit!

I am so happy to share our very first book review from one of our virtual volunteers! If you are interested in writing book reviews for our blog, please sign up for our next virtual volunteer training on Wednesday, February 10th at 3:30 pm.

Goodbye Mr. Terupt, by Rob Buyea (reviewed by Mia)

Summary
Peter, Alexia (aka Lexie), Luke, Danielle, Jeffrey, Anna, and Jessica, have finally made
it to eighth grade, but they are all having a bit of trouble adjusting to the new year. Their
beloved friend and former teacher, Mr. Terupt is going through quite a bit as well with
his new daughter, Hope, and “Baby Terupt Number Two”on the way. The seven friends
will participate in many “projects” throughout the year, and manage to stick together
through them all. This magnificent story will give you an inside look at what these kids’
year was like–even if in the end it means saying goodbye to Mr. Terupt.

My Thoughts!
Let me just say that Goodbye Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea, is an amazing read!
First off, as you may realize once you start reading this book, there are a few details
missing–that is because this is the fourth book of the Mr. Terupt Book Series. (If you do
decide to read this book I definitely recommend reading the other three books first.) 🙂
Overall, I really liked how this book was broken up. I enjoyed that we could see each
narrator’s point of view of the situation they were in, and what they thought of the other
characters. I think my favorite character, though, had to be Lexie. Don’t get me wrong, I
love all the characters, but Lexie’s sass and enthusiasm was a real help to lighten the
mood in those awkward parts of the book, although sometimes she can be a little over
the top. All the characters in this book develop stronger relationships with one another,
even when they do things that they could later end up regretting, which I find to be
amazing, as they have been friends since fifth grade. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants a great book for school or just for fun!

I hope you enjoy Goodbye Mr. Terupt, by Rob Buyea, as much as I did!

We have some fun virtual programs this fall for our tween and teen library users. Check them out!

Girls Who Code Virtual Club (Grades 5+) | Mondays at 3:00 pm beginning September 21st

Open to all girls in grades 5-12. Join us for 10 fun, educational, and empowering sessions where you will learn basic coding skills, share your progress with fellow club members, and help each other create a final project.

Virtual Family Game Night (all ages) | Thursdays at 6:30 pm beginning September 17th

Have a competitive family? Missing board games with your friends? Bring your whole family and join us for Family Game Night, where we’ll try something different each week, from Jackbox party games to family trivia!

Smash Bros. Ultimate Fall Season (Grades 5+) | Fridays at 3:00 pm beginning September 18th

Social distancing got you down? Got a Nintendo Switch with Nintendo Online? Join us at CPL’s Smash Ultimate arena! Play against your friends and folks from all over the area! All skill levels welcome!

Join alumni from the Chelmsford High School class of 2010 to come together and discuss topics related to diversity! This month, we will be talking about race. This book group is a safe space for our community to discuss how we can make Chelmsford a safer and more welcoming community for all. Registration is not required, but it helps us know how many people to expect at the meeting.

Before you attend, please read all or part of the graphic novel New Kid, by Jerry Craft.

“Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real.” The recommended age range for New Kid is grade 3 and up. You can access New Kid online for free by using your Hoopla account at www.hoopladigital.com!

We will come together for a group discussion, and then we will break into small groups mediated by CHS alumni to talk more about the book. Please plan to attend as a family if you can.

Join us on Zoom:

Meeting ID: 884 1757 7346

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88417577346