Library
GSL's Anchor Library is centrally located on campus at 250 Lemaster in the Anchor Center building. It offers more than 24,000 books and resources along with a wide variety of reading materials, including electronic and traditional resources for students age 2 and up and for teacher use.
Director of Library Services Jan Willis staffs the library. Students in Preschool through 4th Grade normally visit weekly. Lower and Middle School students have weekly checkout times and use the library as a resource for research, assignments, and personal reading.
Students may take Accelerated Reading (AR) Quizzes and do diagnostic testing using the Renaissance Learning resources in the library. Click here to access AR Quizzes, which must be taken on campus.
Parents can create a free family library account to check out books. We especially recommend this for Miss Lee's parents because it provides immediate access to the library's extensive preschool picture book and nonfiction collections. Items check out for two weeks.
Click here to view our online catalog. For additional student resources and information on family accounts, visit the Library page under My GSL. For other questions, email Jan Willis.
Library Hours
Monday-Tuesday: 7:30-3:30
Wednesday: 7:30-2:30 (early dismissal day)
Thursday: 7:30-3:30
Friday: 7:30 -3:15
A fine of 10 cents for each school day will be charged for any overdue books. After two written notices to students for overdue books, notices are emailed to the parents. A student may not check out additional books or materials if he/she has a fine or an overdue book.
If a student loses a book, he/she must pay the full price for replacement. If, after replacement value has been paid, the book is found, the student is welcome to return the book to the library, but the library cannot issue refunds at that point.
The librarian will assess charges for any damaged books depending on the extent of mending required to make it serviceable. All books must be returned and fines paid before a student will be allowed to receive his/her report card. Students who abuse library privileges may be restricted from use of the facilities.
Preschool Picture Book of the Month
"Using watercolor and colored pencils, Raúl Colón has created a wordless book that speaks volumes. A boy, home for the day, sits on his bed reading a book about Africa. He begins to draw. Five identical, intensely colored pictures of the boy with an easel, art supplies, and a pit helmet increase in size as readers begin this richly imagined day on a safari. The pleasure the boy takes in making and sharing his art is palpable. Young artists will love this book, as will all children who know the joy of exploring their own imaginations. A must-have for every library." (School Library Journal)
Lower School Nonfiction Book of the Month
Andrea Beaty's second grader Rosie is always trying to solve problems with her inventions. Shy and quiet, she resists talking about her dream to become a great engineer. But when Great-Great Aunt Rose shows up sporting a red polka-dotted scarf à la Rosie the Riveter and shares her experiences building airplanes during World War II, Rosie designs a contraption to help her aunt take to the skies. Of course, it doesn't turn out as planned, but Rose helps Rosie see that it was a success, despite its short air time. The story & illustrations will inspire conversations about the benefits of failure & the pursuit of dreams." (School Library Journal)
Lower School Fiction Book of the Month
"Hazel may not be the best musician in her class, but she is a grade A detective when rumors of Russian spies infiltrating her Vermont hometown begin swirling. Author Blakemore perfectly captures that fine line between childhood and early adolescence, when tall tales from large imaginations are quickly formed, friendships with boys are still easy, and a young girl sees her place in the world as an unstoppable force. While the heart of the story lies within the issues of trust and truth, the writing is never preachy. A strong work of historical fiction for mystery fans." (School Library Journal)
Middle School Nonfiction Book of the Month
"D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy is a fine adaptation of Atkinson's adult book, The Guns at Last Light. It's a readable, and even suspenseful, account of the final preparations for and successful execution of the invasion. Primary-source excerpts personalize the action and separates the five Allied landing forces into individual chapters, which allows for plenty of detail and continuity of narrative about their missions, and the varying amounts of German defenses and resistance they encountered. An excellent choice for WW II buffs and report writers." (School Library Journal)
Middle School Fiction Book of the Month
"Set in a magic-inflected version of the present-day, The Iron Trial is the first title in the Magisterium series. It is a a thrilling coming-of-age story that embraces fantasy tropes while keeping readers guessing. Twelve-year-old Callum Hunt has been raised to distrust magic. Spell-casting mages killed his mother, and his father has warned him that the Magisterium, a school where young mages are trained, is a deathtrap. The strange, subterranean Magisterium is vividly rendered, and a string of ominous revelations will leave readers eager for future installments." (Publishers Weekly)
Middle School Graphic Biography of the Month
"In this engaging and insightful graphic biography, Zimmerman and Vansant present an account of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. For both men, the book begins at the beginning, showing the challenges that they faced as children, their efforts to overcome difficult circumstances, and the very real impact both men had on shaping the social and political consciousness of their times. It draws parallels between the humble circumstances of their early years, but it does so with subtlety, allowing the reader to recognize the connections for themselves. A compelling look at two of the most important figures in American history." (Publishers Weekly)