New Books, Recommendations and Occasional Happenings
October 15, 2024
New books have arrived in our library: more in the Solo Leveling series; a group of Minecraft bibles; books on the Olympics; a couple more novels by Bren MacDibble and more. Click here to see the full list and come to the library and check them out.
September 16, 2024
We have new history books for our library collection.
Click here to see the full list of the books that are on display in the library and ready to be borrowed. Read on to see what our IB history teacher recommends.
Mr Marquez Recommends …
Dictators in the 20th-century didn’t lead using violence alone. They also loved creating the illusion of public support, so they put great effort into sustaining that illusion. If you want to know more about how dictators did it – read the highly informative and insightful How to Be a Dictator by historian Frank Dikötter. It dives deep into the tactics and strategies used by 20th-century dictators to maintain power and control like Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Mao Zedong and Kim Il-sung, as well as lesser known ones such as Haiti’s François Duvalier, Romania’s Nicolae Ceaușescu and Ethiopia’s Mengistu Haile Mariam. My favorite part of the book are the vignettes or ‘mini-stories’ that are enlightening even for people who might be familiar with the lives of most of these men.
I also encourage readers to check out How to Stand Up To a Dictator by journalist Maria Ressa, the first Filipino Nobel Peace Prize awardee. It offers a powerful reflection on defending democracy and press freedom in today’s world. Both books provide crucial lessons on leadership, power and resistance.
August 28, 2024
We welcome in the new (academic) year with new books for our younger readers. There’s an enticing range of new picture books to enjoy. Click here to see more.
We also have a beginning chapter book series Princess in Black and junior fiction for our slightly older readers as well as a couple of sports books. Click here for details.
Our secondary readers have not been forgotten! There is new fiction and nonfiction ready to be read. Click here for details.
All these books will be on display in our library so come in and check them out.
April 10, 2024
A diverse selection of new books are up on display in our library, including some donations from our International Week storytellers.
Please click here and here to see the full lists of new books.
April 1, 2024
We have two new series in the library: Holiday History and Our Solar System. These will supplement the other popular Pogo Press books in our collection.
Click here to read more.
March 12, 2024
We have some weighty winners in our new books selection, including the 2024 Booker winning novel Prophet Song by Irish author Paul Lynch and a new book by Alex Kerr (Lost Japan, Dogs and Demons) called Hidden Japan. If you are into dystopian fiction be sure to checkout out Holly Bourne’s You Could Be So Pretty, described as Uglies meets The Handmaid’s Tale which are both available from our library. Happy reading!
January 31, 2024
The new books include: the latest in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series; some Matthew Cordell (2024 Sakura Medal Picture Book finalist) chapter books; the sequel to The Hatmakers (2024 Sakura Medal Middle School finalist; the Michael Printz Honor and Stonewall Award winning debut novel by Sacha Lamb; the sequel to Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan; and a couple of volumes of the Solo Leveling manwha. Click here to see what else is new in our library.
January 17, 2024
We kick off the new year with books set in Aotearoa New Zealand, Nigeria, England, Indiana and the fictional town of Wibbleton. We have crime, adventure, historical and realistic fiction and more. Come and check them out.
Click here to see the full list.
Ms Fürstenau Recommends …
Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell is not just a heartwarming romantic novel about first love, but it also sheds light on how our socioeconomic environment during early childhood and adolescence shape our identity and sense of self-worth. While attending the same school as teenagers, Eleanor and Park both grow up in different family environments – while Park is surrounded by his caring and supportive family, Eleanor is dependent on her mother who is in an abusive relationship and is emotionally unstable. The novel unfolds insecurities, bullying, the safety net of strong friendships, family and love. Through her relationship with Park, Eleanor grows stronger while Park realises that he is extremely fortunate to grow up in a nurturing family environment. It is a story that makes the reader remember that we all come from different backgrounds, that we need to stick up for each other, and that in the end, all that counts is love, hope and trust. It’s a great read for the next holidays!Eleanor & Park and other books by Rainbow Rowell are available in our library.
November 28, 2023
We have new fiction in our library. Included are old favourites that have worn out, such as the popular Dog Man series, as well as additions to the Minecraft graphic series. There are other treasures too. Click here to see the full list.
November 7, 2023
New fiction, poetry and nonfiction have been added to our library collection. Click here to see what’s new.
Miss Magness Recommends …
Although Peter Reynolds has been writing and illustrating books for many years, I have only recently discovered this wonderful author and illustrator. When I shared his books with Mrs Schumacher she was hooked….and now you can enjoy them too!
October 25, 2023
We have new fiction, graphic novels and biographies for our younger readers in our library. Click here to see the full list of new books that are ready to be checked out.
October 10, 2023
We have new fiction in translation to add to our Japan Collection. These books were selected in collaboration with our Japanese Department. Here’s the full list of new books: come and check them out!
September 11, 2023
Our first batch of new books for this year were selected in collaboration with our History Department. We have updated our Japan Collection and these books are a welcome addition to this important section of our library. Here’s the full list of new books.
May 31, 2023
We are open for summer reading! Come and look at our new books (the last of the year) and choose some great reads for the holidays.
Happy holidays and happy reading!
Mr Crespy Recommends …
I read a book by Elif Shafak for the first time in March 2022: a friend had sent me a copy of 38 Minutes 10 Seconds In This Strange World. I fell under Shafak’s spell a few pages into the book and as I was finishing it, I ordered the three novels in the photo because I wanted more, more, MORE of Shafak’s stories! She writes from the heart, her characters are fiery, complex women, and Istanbul — the backdrop to most of her novels — is depicted in the warmest, most intoxicating sensory language. It is so present in Shafak’s writing that it is almost a character in itself. After finishing Three Daughters of Eve, I called my friend and told her: “On va à Istanbul!?” and there we went on the summer holidays, on the tracks of Shafak’s characters. I recommend these books for high-schoolers and adults who enjoy reading about human nature and questioning the world we live in. Let me know what you think!
April 11, 2023
Another mix of donations, requests from teachers and students, and purchases are about to hit the shelves. Here’s the full list.
April 4, 2023
We received a very special donation this week – a lovely rocking chair for the library. This gift comes from Tanaka Sensei. The Tanaka family have a long association with our library as Mrs Tanaka, current Head of our Japanese Department and a Saint Maur alumna, also has two sons who are alumni of our school. In addition Mrs Tanaka’s sister Taeko is also a Saint Maur alumna. The chair belonged to Mrs Tanaka’s father Captain Hirotoshi Hiura who, when not captaining airplanes, was an avid reader and would enjoy relaxing and reading in this very chair. We are grateful to receive this donation and know that the chair will be carefully looked after in its new home.
March 23, 2023
New fiction has arrived in the library. Some high schoolers requested more romance, so that’s what we have, tempered with a bit of horror and humour. There’s also a book on banned books (which is sadly not fiction) as well as some folktales and board books. See the full list here.
March 17, 2023
Some great new nonfiction is about to hit the shelves. Click here to see the full list of books from these series: Fun With Shapes, Animal Chefs, Voices from Around the World: Pacific Islands,The Science of History and Ancient Civilizations.
March 10, 2023
A Grade 6 Student Recommends …
Robert Muchamore’s Robin Hood series. These books are exciting with a climax that keeps on point. The main character Robin, tries not to harm people (if he’s has to shoot someone he aims for their leg, not their heart) while still keeping himself safe. It’s easy to understand what’s going on as the books have the same pattern. I like that Robin tries to be kind to everyone, even if they are not good people.
March 8, 2023
A range of new books for all ages have been added to the collection. Click here to see the full list of books including, but not limited to horror and humour, nonfiction and picture books.
January 27, 2023
New books for High Schoolers have been added to the collection with thanks to the Grade 11 students who recommended some of these titles. Click here to see the full list that spans matters of the heart, murder and more.
January 16, 2023
Happy New Year! We have with some new books and a recommendation from Mr Geyer in the Elementary School. Read on …
Click here to see the full list of new books, including several in the popular History Comics series, as well as new Picture Books and Junior Fiction, finishing off with a couple of life guides for Upper Elementary students.
Mr Geyer Recommends …
Illustrator Christian Robinson has created a profusion of modern children’s books in the last decade that are bound to become classics. The artwork in his books welcomes young readers with an easy, unassuming vibe. The pages are full of bold and contrasting colors, geometric shapes, and intriguing textures. Robinson often employs collage to communicate his message, combining paint, pastel, cut paper, and more. These inviting images carry the reader through some deep material in the text that confronts issues facing children in the modern world. Saint Maur students living in an urban environment will connect with the topics of escaping into imagination, worrying about the unknown, standing up for what is right, and expanding independence.
Check out one of the many Christian Robinson books available in our Saint Maur Library. You will enjoy spending time with these beautiful picture books.
December 7, 2022
Nineteen new easy biographies from the Little People Big Dreams series have been added to the library. This is a very popular series with some of our Montessori and Elementary families and is a great addition to our extensive biography collection.
December 5, 2022
A few more student and teacher requests have been catalogued and added to the collection. Click on the link to see the full list of books that are on display and ready for checking out.
November 21, 2022
A story of an old book and recommendations for new books from Mr Feezell, our Middle School English teacher, and a high school student. Read on.
The Curious Provenance of the Oldest Book in the Library
The Russo-Japanese War : a Photographic and Descriptive Review of the Great Conflict in the Far East ; Gathered from the Reports, Records, Cable Despatches, Photographs, et., etc., of Collier’s War Correspondents was published in New York by P.F. Collier & Son in 1905.
How did this book end up in the Saint Maur library? The story begins and ends with a former Secondary School Principal and Director of Admissions, Mr Richard B. Rucci (1943-2021) who donated the book to the library in 1976. The inscription on the front page of the book, written in Mr Rucci’s handwriting, tells us that it was found stored in an old, unused bathroom at Southwestern Academy in Rimrock, Arizona where he was working as the Campus Director and teacher. It would seem that the book then accompanied Mr Rucci to Korea where he worked as the Principal of Seoul International School from 1977-1992, before he and the book arrived here at Saint Maur in 1992. Mr Rucci worked at our school until his retirement in 2020.
The book remains in our library and continues to be a treasured and useful resource in 2022 for our Grade 10 World History students, as well as a source of wonder for our younger students who are impressed that we have such an old book in our school library.
A Grade 9 Student Recommends …
All My Rage / Tahir (PBK TAH)
All My Rage is a devastating yet beautiful young adult fiction book which explores the theme of identity and the costs of our actions. Written by Sabaa Tahir, one of the most prominent authors in the young-adult fantasy genre today, All My Rage is a book that will leave you speechless by the end.
I recommend any of Sabaa Tahir’s books, but All My Rage in particular is a book I strongly recommend to high school students and adults who enjoy contemporary fiction, or anyone who wants to expand their reading horizons. The story is set in two periods, the first being in present-day California, through the perspectives of Noor and Sal as they both navigate their lives through their individual traumas, and the second, being set in the past through the perspective of Misbah, Sal’s mother, as she and her newly married husband immigrate to the United States in hope of starting an better life. All My Rage is a book which has changed my perspective, and a book I highly recommend to anyone in the right headspace to handle the themes which are contained.
Mr Feezell Recommends …
Quel Horreur!
The City of Ghosts series by Victoria Schwab is about a girl named Cassidy and her friend Jacob. Jacob is a ghost, and only Cassidy can see him. Ever since Cassidy had a near death experience, she is able to enter the Veil, a zone in-between living and dead, and she is able to see the ghosts that inhabit the Veil. Jacob is a friendly ghost, but that can’t be said of all the ghosts that Cassidy encounters in this three book series! In each book, Cassidy and Jacob travel to a different city, starting with Edinburgh in City of Ghosts, moving on to Paris in Tunnel of Bones, and finishing in New Orleans in Bridge of Souls. This series is scary-but-it’s-gonna-be-okay, so I recommend it for all ages who enjoy a good ghost story.
If you’re a middle school student looking for horror, don’t miss out on Hide and Seeker, a book by Daka Harmon on this year’s Sakura Medal list. The Seeker will play hide and seek with you, but whatever you do, don’t cheat! If you cheat the Seeker will drag you into her realm where your worst fears will come to life. This book is a little bit Coraline, because it deals with a monster from another dimension, and a little bit It, because it has a group of friends banding together to defeat a scary monster.”
Older readers (high school and up) might want to try Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. As the title suggests, this book is a modern take on Gothic horror, set in Mexico. It’s about a young woman named Noemí, who receives a disturbing letter from her cousin. To help her cousin, she travels to a decaying estate in the countryside where she meets a family with some dark secrets.
November 4, 2022
A Grade 11 Student Recommends …
The Hypnotist / Kepler (PBK KEP)
Lars Kepler, the dynamic duo, are truly masters in their field. That field being thriller mystery books. The countless stories which they have told will leave you scratching your head in confusion while simultaneously having you bite your nails out of fear.
I would recommend almost any of their books but the definitive king of their work has to be the Joona Linna Series which follows the Swedish-Finnish detective Joona Linna.Out of the series I would recommend The Hypnotist both because it is the first in series and because it is generally a good thriller. The books are unique in the sense that they give you the perspective of not only the detective and the killer but also the victim which makes it all the more terrifying.
Check out The Hypnotist and other Lars Kepler books from the library.
October 27, 2022
Another batch of new books is ready to be added to our collection, many of these have been suggested by teachers, parents and students. We also have a recommendation from one of our avid middle school readers. Check out her recommendation and other books by the same author that were recently added to our library and have been flying off the shelves!
A Grade 7 Student Recommends …
Radio Silence / Oseman (PBK OSE)
Alice Oseman is a very skilled writer. I enjoy her books because she writes about things that are very relatable for younger audiences, but older people can still enjoy and relate to her books. She has realistic characters from under-represented groups.
I recommend Radio Silence because it is very entertaining while still being easy to understand. I would recommend this book to someone who wants an interesting read that still deals with topics that some authors tend to avoid.
September 8, 2022
We’re kicking off the new year with some new books including one recommended by Mr Patmore, our Head of Social Studies and TOK teacher.
Mr Patmore Recommends …
A Little History of the World / Gombrich (909 GOM)
A Little History of the World is a marvellous book for readers young and old. It covers the span of human history from the Stone Age to the 20th century, but is written in a way where you feel like the author is speaking directly to you, in language that is easy to understand but doesn’t shy away from complicated ideas. I recommend it to any student or adult who wants to learn about humanity’s shared past but in a way that isn’t too textbook-y.
It was originally written in 1935 by E.H. Gombrich in Vienna, Austria, and was later banned by the Nazi party as ‘too pacificistic’. He was working on this English translation shortly before his death in 2001.
June 1, 2022
More nonfiction makes up the final cataloguing project of the year. Happy summer reading!
May 31, 2022
We have new picture books in our library, just in time for summer borrowing!
May 30, 2022
Fiction, history, biography, nonfiction and poetry books feature in this list.
May 27, 2022
We have updated our country studies with new books from the Cultures of the World series, and for our younger readers we have new books in the All Around The World as well as in the A Look At Continents series.
We are continuing to update our nonfiction collection for our younger readers with these new series: Foundations of Physics, Amazing Structures, Patterns in Nature, Watch It Grow and Speed Zone. New titles have also been added to the Holidays series.
All these books will be on the shelves, ready for the new year!
May 10, 2022
Rugby, football, Irish dancing and a WWI romance. Click here to see our new books.
April 13, 2022
Lots of colourful, new picture books have been added to our library collection, including a selection published by O’Brien Press in Dublin.
Click here to see the complete list of all the new picture books that are ready and waiting to be read.
April 6, 2022
We have some new junior fiction (and a couple of other books) that have been catalogued and ready for you to read. Come and check them out from the library.
March 7, 2022
An order of books from the much-loved Gecko Press (Curiously Good Books From Around the World) has been catalogued.
We also have some colourful picture books on neurodiversity
along with new young adult fiction and nonfiction.
Come to the library and check out these new books.
February 18, 2022
New fiction from Australia; the long-awaited memoir from Gary Paulsen; and picture books by Julia Donaldson and Michael Rosen (detailing his recovery from Covid) are some of the latest additions to the library collection. Click here to see more details.
February 3, 2022
A range of recently published new books have been added to our library collection. Included are the the latest offerings from Ruth Ozeki, Anthony Doerr, Sally Rooney, and Sebastian Faulks as well as some new horror and mystery fiction. There are also stories from Pasifika authors and a Haenyeo mermaid story. Click on the link above for the full list and come and check them out.
January 18, 2022
New titles have been added to our popular I Survived series.
We also have new books to support our Grade 5 IPC topic on CSI (Crime Scene Investigations) and forensic investigations.
September 13, 2021
There is lots of new nonfiction on offer in the library!
We have expanded and updated our geology books for elementary (including grade 4 IPC) with three new series:
Digging in Geology; Blastoff! Discovery and for our youngest readers Geology Rocks!
We have a new series, Human Body Systems that should be helpful for our grade 5 IPC learners.
We’ve added to our collection of junior nonfiction books on climate change.
We have updated our junior nonfiction with some colourful new books from the You Wouldn’t Want To Live Without … series.
If you like information books and you like graphic novels, then you might want to try some of our new graphic nonfiction from the Science Comics series.
September 1, 2021
The first batch of new books for the new academic year has been catalogued and is now ready for reading. Come and check them out when you are back on campus.
May 25, 2021
The final batch of history books has been processed. That’s it for the year!
May 24th, 2021
We have replaced our worn out copies of the ever-popular Roald Dahl books with fresh, clean, new titles!
Here are the latest new books. These will be able to be borrowed over the summer.
May 4th, 2021
Click here to see the latest new books in the library. As you can see (or read) it’s quite a mix of books, reflecting a range of ages and reading tastes by well-known, popular authors and possibly some that are new to you. Come and borrow these books from the library!
