Robert A. Long High School Library

Evergreen Book Award High School Nominee

Cracking the Bell by Geoff Herbach

What if the thing you love most is the thing that could kill you? Isaiah loves football and uses it to keep his life structured and give him purpose. After his sister died it was the only thing that brought him back from making dangerous choices and serious juvenile delinquency. But after a crushing blow on the field that makes him question his future, he is faced with a terrible decision. Knowing his team will not win without him, and college scholarships are riding on his performance, he is faced with limited options. Does he continue to play ball and threaten his life? What could life possibly look like without the game? Read this book for more than football, Isaiah’s family and friends are impacted by his decisions and he knows he will need them now more than ever. Fans of the sport will want to read this as we reflect on the very real concussion crisis in American football. ~TuesD Chambers, Ballard High School

From the Librarian (Jodi Kruse)
UPDATE: YOU PEOPLE JUST MAKE ME WANT TO CRY!
THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED!!!
This morning I came in to the most amazing surprise. Several former students and two anonymous donors had fully funded this project--and then some. . .which means I will be able to expand the number of students who will be able to participate in the program. I just shared this good news (and goosebumps) with two of my colleagues. Several of you shared this post on your own feeds and then gave me a huge shout out endorsing the goal. You once again highlighted for me the critical importance of being a kind teacher. I also remember talking with former students about the importance of small incremental changes to culture. If you could walk the halls that I get to walk, you would be proud of the legacy you left.

I am so proud of and humbled by YOU! Thank you, from the bottom of my bottomless heart.

*************

I always have mixed feelings about posting something like this--mostly because if you are following this page it's because you want to know what is happening in the R. A. Long Library. If you are a former RAL Alumni, and you are interested in investing in future students, this is an opportunity to put a high interest book in the hands of a student.

If you are just checking in to see what we are reading and what we love, keep checking back with us. We'll be reposting information about our new 2022 Evergreen Nominees soon. COVID may have kept us isolated, but it hasn't kept us from our goal of keeping students reading. Regardless of why you visit, we're glad you stopped by.

Manga, Literacy, and Extensions - Summer Reading Program, a project from Ms. Kruse Help me give my students manga versions of a classic work of art that they can keep! We are a school of diversity. Over half of our students come from poverty, and nearly one fifth of our student b...

Students who want to stay sharp for AP Testing, we have gotten a new trial that is part of the EBSCO suite.

1. Sign in to Google Chrome using your longviewschools.org account.

2. Go to the link: http://lexpr.es/home?AuthToken=d2706887-ddac-4ba6-897a-865eccd3f345

3. Create an account. I don't know that you can use your longviewschools.org account because it will not allow outside emails for verification.

4. Do a search for the AP test you would like to study. Note, SAT test prep is also available.