February 24: A celebration of the life and contributions of Miss Clara Breed, a librarian in San Diego for 42 years, renowned for the letters she saved from Japanese-American children and their families who were sent to internment camps during WWII. The celebration takes place at 11:00 a.m. in the AV Presentation Room in the TP Library Media Center. Jean Oppenheim, author of Dear Miss Breed, is the presenter. The event is a collaboration between Carmel Valley Library and Torrey Pines.
 >>See flyer by clicking here.
 >>Contact if interested in attending: lisa.goldberg@sduhsd.net

2005/06: Cutting-Edge Conversations
Friends of the Library and the Torrey Pines Foundation are pleased to be able to continue the popular series "Cutting-Edge Conversations" in 2006.The goal of the series is to bring the community and the world to our students. Student feedback in the form of letters to our presenters provides insight in determining the impact of this series.

• June 8: Shark specialist Ramon Bonfil talks to Torrey Pines, during 2nd, 4th and 6th periods, (to more than 200 people) in the Lecture Hall. National Geographic News reports, "For three years Ramón Bonfil, a conservation scientist and shark specialist with the Bronx-based Wildlife Conservation Society, has been hand-fitting South Africa's great whites with dorsal-fin satellite tags. The tags reveal the sharks' day-to-day and long-term movements. Bonfil's capture technique includes a heart-pumping face-to-face meeting with the king of the ocean food chain." (Brian Handwerk, for National Geographic News, July 1, 2005.)
  >Information: Library Media Center, at ext. 2247
  >National Geographic News article
  
   
• February 9: "Cutting-Edge Conversations" in Library Media Center, featuring Reverend George Walker Smith, community leader, local activist and advocate for civil rights. See flyer for more information.
  >>Please contact: lisa.goldberg@sduhsd.net if you are a parent and would like to join us.
  >>Click here for flyer and details
  
   
• November 29: "Cutting Edge Conversations" in Library Media Center, featuring Arlene Blum, scientist, author, motivational speaker and mountaineer. During fourth period (from 11 to noon). Presented in partnership with Del Mar Library.
  >>See also Ms. Blum's website at this link

• October 25, 2005: David Perez, Carmel Valley businessman who proved instrumental in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. 9-9:45 a.m., and 10:10-11:00 a.m., parents are welcome to attend.
  Click here for information.

Some of the Events in 2004/05:

• February 23, 2005:  Hip-hop poet and author, Al Howard, makes his return appearance.  His positive poetry is always inspirational!  His performance begins at 6:45 p.m.  Tickets are available at the door. Click here for information.
  
   
• December 1, 2004: Author event sponsored by Friends of the Library;  award-winning author Glen Hirshberg, TP graduate on a collection of ghost stories. 6:45 p.m., tickets at door. Benefits Library Media Center. See this link for details.
  

Events in 2003/04:

• February 25: Al Howard, hip-hop poet artist, 6:45 p.m., Library Media Center. Click here to see flyer.
• October 21, 2003: Author event, David Brin, science fiction writer, Nebula and Hugo Award winner, 6:45-8 p.m., Library Media Center. Click here for details.
• April, 2003:
  Holocaust survivor Gussie Zaks
• April, 2003:
  An Evening of Language and Laughter with Richard Lederer,
  featuring reknowned author and "verbivore."
  • Flyer about this event
  • Author's website
• February, 2003:
  Students guests at Rancho Santa Fe Literary Society author event
• December, 2002:
  Hip-Hop poet and jazz artist Alfred Howard
• October, 2002:
  Spider-Man Artist John Romita, Jr.

Each year, the Torrey Pines Friends of the Library group brings authors, illustrators and special guests from throughout the community to meet the students and parents. They offer a smorgasbord of experiences for the families and help broaden students' horizons. "Author Evenings" are open to students and parents. Proceeds from admissions fund the book and media purchases and essential improvements to the LMC. Frequently, authors are also scheduled in the daytime for entire classes to attend. Other Friends of the Library and Students for Literacy events include:

1. English literature book sale at Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the beginning of the school year
2. Gift-wrapping evening and other special fund-raising evenings at Barnes and Noble Bookstore

Keep checking here for upcoming events, and taste a sampling below of those already scheduled earlier this year.

Holocaust Survivor is Guest Speaker
On April 23 we were again honored to hear Gussie Zaks, a Holocaust survivor. Gussie was a teenager when the Nazi invaded her homeland, Poland. Through years of struggle and ingenuity, Gussie endured seven labor and death camps.   Her memories are vividly recalled and mesmerizing as she tells her story of hate, prejudice and finally hope. Students (pictured below) were mesmerized by her story.

Students as Guests
at Rancho Santa Fe Literary Society Author Event

Four Torrey Pines students attended the Rancho Santa Fe Literary Society author event in February, and met with author Fern Schumer Chapman, pictured center above.

Chapman is the author of Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past, a true account about her mother Edith's Holocaust experience.

In 1938, Edith was sent to live with relatives in the United States in order to escape the occupation of her small town in Germany by the Nazis. Except for one Christian friend, the townspeople did nothing to protect Edith's family, a family they knew well.

Five decades later, mother and daughter return to Stockstadt where memories of Edith's life come alive for Fern. It's a story of a Holocaust escapee who felt abandoned as a child and shared no family or cultural history with her daughter. Fern grew up knowing nothing about her past. The return to the Motherland began a new connection between a mother and children and a reconnection with Edith's past.

Our students and four students from the San Diego Jewish academy spent 30 minutes before lunch with the author before her presentation. Each of our students received an autographed book.

Hip-hop poet/jazz artist
Alfred Howard, December, 2002
In  December, 2002, hip-hop poet and jazz artist Alfred Howard made a return visit to the Library Media Center. Al relates positive messages through his poetry and weaves American jazz history into his presentation.  Al now works at a group home, Circle of Friends while continuing to pursue his art. This event was sponsored by Friends of the Library/TPHS Foundation and proceeds directly benefit our students.

Spider-Man author and artist John Romita, Jr., October, 2002
Local resident John Romita, Jr., the artist/author of Spider-Man comics, was the featured guest of the torrey Pines Friends of the Library in October. Some facts about the man who is the inspiration behind the super-hero (from San Diego Union-Tribune, December 2, 2002).

• Romita followed in the footsteps of his father, as the artist and author of Spider-Man comics.
• He has spent his entire career with one company, Marvel Comics.
• He was born 46 years ago in New York, loves the city, and still travels there regularly from his office office in Fairbanks Ranch.
• He remarks that creating a comic book is, "...like a monthly movie in print."
• Normally he can pencil a 22-page book in two weeks, but his current book, The Amazing Spider-Man No. 36 (11/14/01) took four.
• He also draws a monthly book about the Incredible Hulk.
• Atlas Comics, a shop in Chicago, named him on a list of the 100 greatest American comic book artists of all time.
• Past credits include X-Man, The Punisher, and Daredevil.