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What We Are Reading...

  • United Against Hate: Reading and Reflecting in the Library

    Posted by Midori Bastien on 10/24/2025

    Hello McKinley Families and Students! 

    This October, McKinley, SMMUSD, the City of Santa Monica, and the Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs are joining forces for United Against Hate Week (October 19–26), which aligns perfectly with National Bullying Prevention Month.

    At the library, we believe that books are powerful tools for building empathy, understanding, and kindness. Stories help us see the world through someone else’s eyes, making us better friends and community members. This week, we're diving into stories that help us understand what it means to be brave, stand up for others, and celebrate what makes us unique.


    Exploring the Chain of Kindness with "Jungle Bullies" 

    "Jungle Bullies" by Steven Kroll is a wonderful starting point for our youngest readers.

    The book shows us a powerful chain reaction: The Elephant bullies the Hippo, who then bullies the Lion, who bullies the Leopard, and finally, the Leopard bullies the Monkey. This chain only stops when Mama Monkey steps in with a loving, firm solution. She tells the Monkey to go back to the Leopard and use his voice to say, "Don't you tell me what to do, this [tree's] big enough for two. Share it with me as a friend, don't be mean to me again!"

    This powerful phrase is then passed backward—from the Monkey to the Leopard, to the Lion, to the Hippo, and finally to the Elephant—until all the animals are playing together happily in the pond. This is how the jungle breaks the cycle of unkindness!

    In the Library:

    • Discuss: The book teaches us that when we face a bully, the strongest response is to speak up and ask for help, breaking the cycle and turning it into a chain of kindness!


    Finding Your Voice and Place with "Finding Langston" 

    For our older elementary students, we read Chapter 2 of "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome.

    This chapter immediately introduces us to the challenges Langston faces. He has just moved from the South to Chicago and is navigating a completely new world. We see his quiet struggle with feeling different: he goes to the bathroom early so he doesn't have to share, and he's fascinated by simple things like running water and flushing the toilet, which he hasn't had before.

    It is heartbreakingly clear that other students make him feel like an outsider. They call him "country boy" and make fun of his different clothes and worn-out shoes.

    Themes of Empathy and Belonging:

    This chapter is a profound lesson for United Against Hate Week:

    • Exclusion and Shame: Langston feels so alone he simply endures the bullying—when students push him, he waits for them to stop and walks home in silence.

    • The Meaning of "Different": The book shows how hate and bullying can spring from simple differences—like where someone grew up or what they own. It challenges us to choose empathy over judgment.


    Our Students: Powerful Insights from Read-Alouds

    As often happens in our library, the students are the ones who share the most powerful lessons! After reading these books this week, our readers showed a profound level of mindfulness and empathy.

    A First Grader's Lesson on Talking vs. Fighting

    After our reading of Jungle Bullies, a first-grade student shared a brilliant observation. She noted that when the animals broke the cycle, they talked to their bullies using their words, instead of yelling, hitting, or throwing things. She realized this was a key takeaway, thinking of how badly she felt after fighting with her brother. She decided she would try to talk things out next time instead. It's truly amazing that a story about jungle animals can teach us such an important lesson about respectful conflict resolution!

    Seeing Differences in Finding Langston

    During our discussion of Finding Langston, older students immediately zoomed in on the exclusion, pointing out that Langston was being picked on because he was different—specifically, his clothes and the way he talked.

    We discussed the painful scene where Langston is pushed back and forth by his bullies while another student watches. We emphasized the difference between a bystander and an upstander:

    • We reminded students that even when they feel too scared or unsure of what to do, the most important action is to tell a trusted adult—a teacher, a librarian, a parent, or a principal. Langston waits for his dad, but in our schools, we always want students to seek help right away.

    These discussions are why the library is such a special place! Hearing these different perspectives reminds me of the power of books to help our students identify problems on a large scale and then apply those lessons to their own lives. In fact, my favorite moment was when a student immediately checked out Finding Langston earlier this week!


    Join the Movement: Unite Against Hate 

    Learning to be kind, inclusive, and brave is a skill, and like reading, it takes practice! This week, we encourage every McKinley student to be a kndness champion and an upstander.

    • Be a Buddy: Reach out to someone sitting alone at lunch or during recess.

    • Be Respectful: Treat everyone, regardless of their background, beliefs, or interests, with kindness.

    • Be Brave: If you see something, say something to a trusted grown-up.

    Let's work together to make our schools and community a place where everyone feels safe, welcome, and valued. We are all United Against Hate!

    Stop by the library to check out these featured books and other wonderful stories about friendship, diversity, and courage!

    Happy Reading!

    Comments (-1)
  • Banned Book Week 2025 at McKinley Library

    Posted by Midori Bastien on 10/5/2025

    Banned Book Week 2025 at McKinley Library

    Read Banned Book Display

    This week, our library joined schools and libraries across the country in celebrating Banned Books Week, a time to highlight the importance of the freedom to read and to think for ourselves. 

    The official 2025 theme, from the American Library Association (ALA), is:

    "Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights." This theme reminds us that censorship isn't new — it's something people have fought against for generations to make sure everyone has access to diverse ideas, stories, and voices. 

    What We Did in the Library 

    Read Books

    To help students explore this topic, I created a display titled "Read Banned Books" — each letter was made to look like it was torn from a page. Below it, students can open 18 different book covers to learn why that book was once challenged, when it happened, and who wanted it removed. 

    All of these titles are available in our school library — and they're also some of the books our students love most!

    Before exploring the display, students learned what it means for a book to be banned or challenged. We discussed why some people try to restrict access to certain stories, and we read a banned book together. 

    The best part? Their reactions - surprise, curiosity, and thoughtful questions about fairness and freedom - showed how deeply they were thinking about the topic.

    Why It Matters

    Banned Books Week encourages students to think critically and to value the right to make their own reading choices. It reminds us that books teach empathy, courage, and understanding — even when their ideas make us uncomfortable. 

    At McKinley, we believe reading should open doors, not close them. Our goal is to help students become informed, thoughtful readers who can understand different perspectives and form their own opinions. 

    Students with Display

    Continue the Conversation at Home

    Families can take part too! Here are some ideas:

    • Ask your child what surprised them about Banned Book Week.
    • Check out a banned or challenged book together.
    • Talk about why people might want to ban books and why it's important to protect the right to read.

    Together, we can show students that reading freely is one of our greatest rights — and responsibilities. 

    Comments (-1)
  • Library Coordinator 

    Midori Bastien 

    310-828-5011 ext 65-100

     

    Library Hours

    Monday

    8a - 3p

    Tuesday 

    8a - 1:30p

    Wednesday 

    9:30 -  1:50p

    Thursday 

    8a - 3p

    Friday 

    10a - 3p

     

    Library Wishlist

    Our library is the heart of McKinley Elementary, serving over 300 students each week. Here, children discover a love of reading, explore new information, and build skills that prepare them for the future. This wishlist will help us add books, creative learning kits, and much-needed supplies—everything from story sets to simple tools like pencils and art materials. Every gift makes a real difference for our students. Thank you for helping our library grow! You can support our readers, dreamers, and explorers—one gift at a time - here.