LibGuides: Austin Middle School Library: Home

February Holidays

February 1--National Dark Chocolate Day
February 2--Groundhog Day
February 3--Doggy Date Night
February 4--National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast day
February 9--Read in the Bathtub Day
February 11--Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
February 14--Library Lovers Day
February 14--Valentine's Day
February 20--Love Your Pet Day
February 24--National Tortilla Chip Day
February 28--National Public Sleeping Day

New Nonfiction

Stress Less by Aubre Andrus It can be easy to get bogged down in stress. Luckily there are countless strategies to beat it. When you're feeling anxious or overloaded, the projects in this book can help. Calm down and center yourself with meditation exercises. Boost your mood with a healthy breakfast. Take a break from social media. Relax with some simple yoga poses. Listen to soothing music. Before you know it, you will be less stressed! Your mind - and body - will thank you.
Across the Rainbow Bridge: Stories of Norse Gods and Humans by Kevin Crossley-Holland In a dramatic companion volume to Norse Myths, a Carnegie Medal winner revisits an ancient world of magic, mythology, and mountain trolls. Step back into a sweeping landscape of green glades and glaciers where dwarves, frost giants, and ghosts roam and where gods and goddesses work their magic for Middle Earth, sometimes crossing the great rainbow bridge to come to the aid of humans. Five gripping new tales by Kevin Crossley-Holland plumb Norse mythology as never before, while Jeffrey Alan Love's illustrations give the epic figures bold new life. Eerie, lyrical, and arresting, this must-have companion book to Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki is the ideal gift for fantasy and mythology fans as well as newcomers to Viking lore.
The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone A million listeners trust NPR's Brooke Gladstone to guide them through the complexities of the modern media. Bursting onto the page in vivid comics by acclaimed artist Josh Neufeld, this brilliant radio personality guides us through two millennia of media history, debunking the notion that "The Media" is an external force beyond our control and equipping us to be savvy consumers and shapers of the news.
The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns by Sarah Laskow From cuddly pool floats to rainbow-colored toast toppings, unicorns--the darlings of Instagram--have never been more exciting or more popular. Are unicorns real? Their popularity and enduring role in human culture certainly is. How can you win a fight against a unicorn? Why do some unicorns have wings? Why are unicorns often pictured with rainbows? Get answers to these questions and more in this fun look at unicorns throughout history. This four-color, fully illustrated book provides everything you always wanted to know about the myths, science, and history that surround the unicorn, a creature that has grown even more popular in the twenty-first century. With its stylish design and fresh, captivating illustrations, The Very Short, Entirely True History of Unicorns will appeal to readers--children and adults alike--who can't get enough of the world's most elusive animal.
Incredible Jobs You've (Probably) Never Heard Of by Natalie Labarre Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? Why not work as a babysitter . . . for sloths? Or become a farmer . . . of corpses? You might even grow up to be someone who gets paid to actually sleep on the job! From taste testers to dinosaur dusters, there are all kinds of incredible jobs that you've probably never heard of -- and one of them might be just right for you!
It Can Rain Frogs and Fish by Jan Payne; Steven Wilder Earth is a mesmerizing place to live. Weather, climate, and the solar system surrounding it are filled with fascinating phenomena. Many are well known, while others are still hearsay. Through engaging text enhanced by whimsical color illustrations and a fun quiz, readers can test their knowledge of earth science.
Written in Bone by Sally M. Walker Bright white teeth. Straight leg bones. Awkwardly contorted arm bones. On a hot summer day in 2005, Dr. Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution peered into an excavated grave, carefully examining the fragile skeleton that had been buried there for four hundred years. "He was about fifteen years old when he died. And he was European," Owsley concluded. But how did he know? Just as forensic scientists use their knowledge of human remains to help solve crimes, they use similar skills to solve the mysteries of the long-ago past. Join author Sally M. Walker as she works alongside the scientists investigating colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia, as well as other sites in Maryland. As you follow their investigations, she'll introduce you to what scientists believe are the lives of a teenage boy, a ship's captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.
Glam and Gorgeous Room by Heather Wutschke A floor, a ceiling, and four boring walls? No more! Get creative, show your room some love, and turn your personal space into your happy place. Show off your style and personality with DIY pizzazz to makeover furniture, create one-of-a-kind decor, and organize your stuff with dozens of projects and ideas to make your room as unique as you are!

Austin Catalog

Looking for a specific book? Check our library:

Austin library has a collection of ebooks available for students. See Mrs. Collins for passwords.

Austin students can also download ebooks and audio books from the district ebook collection.

Students will need their student ID number and a password.

(See Mrs. Collins if you need these.)

February Featured Authors' books

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson Jacqueline Woodson's stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies. For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ's house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that--but it doesn't make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can't remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?
Big Shot (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 16) by Jeff Kinney In Big Shot, book 16 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney, Greg Heffley and sports just don't mix. After a disastrous field day competition at school, Greg decides that when it comes to his athletic career, he's officially retired. But after his mom urges him to give sports one more chance, he reluctantly agrees to sign up for basketball. Tryouts are a mess, and Greg is sure he won't make the cut. But he unexpectedly lands a spot on the worst team. As Greg and his new teammates start the season, their chances of winning even a single game look slim. But in sports, anything can happen. When everything is on the line and the ball is in Greg's hands, will he rise to the occasion? Or will he blow his big shot?
Bang by Lisa McMann What Sawyer's seeing might mean murder. The second "dramatic, quick-paced thriller (Kirkus Reviews)" in a series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy. Jules should be happy. She saved a lot of people's lives and she's finally with Sawyer, pretty much the guy of her dreams. But the nightmare's not over, because she somehow managed to pass the psycho vision stuff to Sawyer. Excellent. Feeling responsible for what he's going through and knowing that people's lives are at stake, Jules is determined to help him figure it all out. But Sawyer's vision is so awful he can barely describe it, much less make sense of it. All he can tell her is there's a gun, and eleven ear-splitting shots. Bang. Jules and Sawyer have to work out the details fast, because the visions are getting worse and that means only one thing: time is running out. But every clue they see takes them down the wrong path. If they can't prevent the vision from happening, lives will be lost. And they may be among the casualties...
Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli Ninth grader Will Tuppence is in control. He plans everything obsessively, from the perfect stargazing night with his crush, Mi-Su, to the regular Saturday-night games of Monopoly with his friends. He's even planned his entire adulthood: career as an astronomer; mint condition, black 1985 Jaguar XJS/12; two kids. . . . But everything changes the day Will learns one startling fact: protons--those tiny atomic particles, the building blocks to the building blocks of life--can die. The one thing that was so certain in this world to Will has an expiration date. And Will's carefully planned-out life Not so certain, either.
Treasury of Egyptian Mythology by Donna Napoli The new National Geographic Treasury of Egyptian Mythology is a stunning tableau of Egyptian myths, including those of pharaohs, queens, the boisterous Sun God Ra, and legendary creatures like the Sphinx. The lyrical storytelling of award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli dramatizes the timeless tales of ancient Egypt in the year when Angelina Jolie will make Cleopatra a multimedia star. And just like the popular National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology, the stories in this book will be beautifully illustrated to bring ancient characters vividly to life The stories are embellished with sidebars that provide historical, cultural, and geographic context and a mapping feature that adds to the fun and fascination. Resource notes and ample back matter direct readers to discover more about ancient Egypt. With its attractive design and beautiful narrative, this accessible treasury stands out from all other mythology titles in the marketplace.
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham A perfect murder A faceless witness A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth . . . and he's only thirteen years old Meet Theodore Boone In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he's only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he's one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk--and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom. But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much--maybe too much--he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. The stakes are high, but Theo won't stop until justice is served. Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer will keep readers guessing and pages turning.