Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Monday, February 23, 2026
Book Review: What’s New on Our Library’s Bookshelves?
New Titles: Stories Across Worlds
From Syria to Japan to imagined empires, these new arrivals open windows into cultures, histories, and epic journeys.
This collection gathers twenty-two masterful short stories by one of Japan’s most influential literary voices. Known for psychological depth and moral ambiguity, Akutagawa’s stories probe truth, illusion, and the human condition. A compelling introduction to modern Japanese literature.
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
In a storm-torn empire ruled by magic and ambition, a fierce rebel and a powerful prince are bound together in a dangerous alliance. This epic fantasy blends political intrigue, elemental magic, and slow-burn romance. Perfect for readers who love high-stakes fantasy with emotional depth.
A sweeping and intimate novel set during the Syrian uprising, this story follows a young pharmacist torn between survival, love, and resistance. Lyrical and heartbreaking, it explores what hope means when a country is at war—and what it takes to stay. A powerful read about courage, memory, and choosing to live.
The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu
Often called the world’s first novel, this timeless classic follows the life and loves of Prince Genji in Japan’s Heian court. Rich in emotion, aesthetics, and courtly intrigue, it offers a window into a refined and complex world. A foundational work of world literature.
Full list of new titles, click here: 2026 February New Acquisitions
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Reading Aloud As Service (1 of 3)
READING ALOUD AS SERVICE
PART 1 (2 hours): Why We Read Aloud — Reading as Care & Connection
Purpose:
To ground volunteers in the why of reading aloud: not performance, but human connection and literacy access.
Key Ideas:
- Reading aloud builds emotional safety, language exposure, listening stamina, and shared meaning.
- Volunteers are co-readers, not performers.
- A good read-aloud is about attunement, not accents or acting.
STORYTELLING & READ ALOUD TECHNIQUES
* What is storytelling
* Why tell stories
* Storytelling and the Four Macro Skills in Communication Arts
* The Many Ways to Tell Stories
* The Storytelling Program
* Open Forum
Assignment/Task: Watch this video of a Read Aloud
Read Aloud video: My Daddy My One and Only
Guide questions:
1. What is the framework used in the read aloud experience?
2. What activities were used in the pre-reading, during reading and post reading stages?
3. How were you affected by the activities and the read aloud experience overall?
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Book Reviews and Recommended Reads: Light, Love and Revolution in Children's Literature (1 of 3)
February is a such happening month. We celebrate Valentine’s Day, National Arts Month, and the anniversary of People Power. All are reminders that love is not only personal, but creative and civic.
In these five Filipino children’s books, love appears as art made by hand, imagination set free, stories shared in libraries, light held in protest, and people gathered in peaceful unity. This month invites us to see that love can be expressed in creation, in memory, and in collective action and that even our youngest readers are part of that ongoing story.
Sayaw ng mga Ilaw (Dance of the Lights) by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno
Illustrated by Aaron Asis
The story centers on a child’s quest for hope and healing as it references the need to honor history. The narrative connects light with civic memory.
Illustrated by Jared Yokte
A cat works in a library and watches over books and readers. The story highlights the role of libraries as safe and shared spaces. It celebrates reading as a communal experience.
Ang Pambihirang Sombrero by Jose Miguel Tejido
A child discovers a hat that transforms depending on how it is imagined. Each page shows the hat becoming something new through visual interpretation. The book emphasizes imagination as an artistic act.
Illustrated by Sergio Bumatay III
This counting book introduces children to the events and imagery of the 1986 People Power Revolution. Numbers are paired with scenes of unity and public gathering. It presents history in a format accessible to young readers.
Isang Harding Papel by Augie Rivera
Illustrated by Rommel Joson
A young girl creates a paper garden while scenes of the 1986 People Power movement unfold around her. The story connects personal creativity with a historical moment in the Philippines. It presents art as quiet resistance and remembrance.
Monday, February 16, 2026
Book Review: Ang Laro nina Rona at Powa
Dahil nalalapit na ang Lunar New Year, narito ang aking rebyu ng aklat pambata ni Becky Gerodias at Joanne Wong, Ang Laro nina Rona at Powa.
Manunulat: Becky Gerodias
Illustrador: Joanne Wong
Maikling Rebyu (para sa mga guro, magulang, at tagapagbasa):
Sa gitna ng pagdiriwang ng Lunar New Year, inilalatag ng kuwento ang isang karaniwang damdamin ng bata: inggit. Nakita ni Rona ang bagong laruan ni Powa—at sa halip na manatili sa pagkukumpara, natuto siyang i-channel ang damdaming ito tungo sa paglikha. Dito pumapasok ang mahalagang mensahe ng aklat: agency at self-confidence na nagmumula sa sariling kakayahan.
Mga Lakas ng Aklat
1. Emosyonal na literasiya
Hindi dinidemonisa ang inggit. Sa halip, ipinapakita na maaari itong maging panimulang damdamin para sa pagkatuto at paglikha. Mainam itong lunsaran ng pag-uusap sa mga bata tungkol sa:
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Ano ang nararamdaman ko?
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Ano ang maaari kong gawin sa damdaming ito?
2. Pagpapahalaga sa kakayahan at pagkamalikhain
Sa paggawa ni Rona ng sarili niyang laruan, naipapakita ang growth mindset. Hindi kailangang magkaroon agad ng “bago” para maging masaya; maaari kang lumikha.
3. Reciprocal na pagkakaibigan
Ang pagbabago ni Rona ang naging tulay para kay Powa na magbahagi. Hindi ito sermon tungkol sa “dapat mag-share.” Ito ay ipinapakitang bunga ng kumpiyansa at seguridad sa sarili ang pagbabahagi.
4. Cultural grounding
Ang konteksto ng Chinese/Lunar New Year ay hindi lamang dekorasyon. Maaari itong magsilbing:
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Pagpapakilala sa mga simbolo ng pagdiriwang (kulay pula, mga palamuti, pamilya)
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Pagbubukas ng usapan sa cultural diversity sa Pilipinas at sa mga impluwensiya ng bansang China at Hong Kong sa mundo.
Mga Tanong sa Pagpapalalim (para sa read-aloud o classroom use)
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Kailan ka nakaramdam ng inggit? Ano ang ginawa mo?
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Ano ang kaya mong gawin gamit ang sarili mong talento?
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Paano nagbago ang kilos ni Powa dahil sa ginawa ni Rona?
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Ano ang kahulugan ng pagbabahagi kung pareho kayong may tiwala sa sarili?
Marami pang mga aklat pambata na puwedeng mabasa at basahin online. Ito ay libre. Pumunta lang sa Room to Read para makapili ng mga kuwento.
Bangtan Hermana Notes: From Connections to Love Songs: Installation Art and Art in Public Spaces in BTS’s Narrative of Kinship
In 2020, when BTS launched CONNECT, BTS under the curatorial direction of Daehyung Lee, I remember thinking: this is unusual. A Kpop group funding global contemporary art, stepping back so other artists could take the space. It asked what connection looks like when it is built, not performed.
CONNECT unfolded during Map of the Soul: 7, an era about shadow and integration. Outwardly, they were practicing what the album suggested inwardly: plurality.
They decentralized themselves. They shifted attention from idol to collective. It felt less like branding and more like bridge-building.
Now, buildings in Seongsu wrapped in red and white tape ask: What is your love song? The question interrupts the street. It slows the body. In the context of Arirang, a folk song carried across generations, that question becomes communal. A love song is not owned. It is remembered, passed on, sung again.
If CONNECT was about network, Arirang feels like root. CONNECT moved through art institutions. Arirang moves through the public space. Gwhanghwamun Square. This is a shift from curated space to common space, from vertical strucyures to horizontal chorus. Not kingship. Kinship.
I return to CONNECT because I see the arc. From building connections across cities to asking ordinary people what song holds them together. From infrastructure to inheritance. Perhaps this is the deeper work: not just releasing music, but rehearsing community until we realize we were never outside the song. We, ARMY, most especially, were always part and participants of the story of BTS.
Apobangpo! Purple and true!
Connect ebook: https://www.scribd.com/.../501858075/Connect-Bts-E-book-en
Connect Video Compilation: https://youtube.com/playlist...
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