Overdrive recently updated the eBook and audiobook collection that we access using Sora — the digital reader for students. Many of the titles are classics — 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Dracula, Pride and Prejudice — and many are appropriate for younger students. But there are some titles that would fit on our high school shelves (some we even have already!).
The difference between these and the other books in our digital collection is that these titles are always available — we can check them out to as many people as want to read them!
You can get to the Sora app via ClassLink — it’s in the HS Library folder. You can also install the app on your own connected device. This video shows you how to set up Sora for the first time — A Brief Look at Sora. Be sure to add the Pioneer Library System to your Sora account for even more eBooks and audiobooks!
In Sora, CA students and faculty will find:
- 2,700+ eBooks
- 550+ audiobooks
When you add the Pioneer Library System to your Sora account (no card required), you will have access to:
- 14,500+ eBooks
- 7,500+ audiobooks
If you want to be a power user, you can also add the New York Public Library to your Sora account (an NYPL card is required but easy to get), where you’ll find:
- 132,000 eBooks
- 40,000 audiobooks
You can borrow eBooks and audiobooks through the Sora app, place holds on titles that are already checked out, and read/listen right on your Chromebook or other connected device. Books you borrow are automatically returned on the due date, or you can renew them if nobody else is waiting.
Here are some of the eBooks in Sora that are always available:
FICTION
90 Days of Different by Eric Walters — On the last day of high school, Sophie’s boyfriend breaks up with her. It turns out he thinks she is too predictable, too responsible, too mature…too boring. When Sophie turns to her best friend, Ella, for comfort and reassurance, Ella just confirms what her boyfriend has said, and that hurts even more. Then Ella comes up with a plan to help Sophie find her wilder side. (Realistic fiction)
Big Water by Andrea Curtis — Christina and Daniel struggle to survive when the steamship “Asia” goes down in a violent storm. (Adventure)
The Cure For Dreaming by Cat Winters — In Portland, Oregon, in 1900, seventeen-year-old Olivia Mead, a suffragist, is hypnotized by the intriguing young Henri Reverie, who is paid by her father to make her more docile and womanly but who, instead, gives her the ability to see people’s true natures, while she secretly continues fighting for women’s rights. (Historical fiction)
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee — Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code. But when her hometown comes under siege from Hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. (Supernatural adventure)
Everyday Hero by Kathleen Cherry — When a new friend challenges Alice, who has Asperger Syndrome, to step outside her comfort zone, Alice decides to revise her rules. (Realistic fiction)
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge — When Neverfell, who has no memory, arrives in Caverna, her facial expressions make her very dangerous to the people who live with blank faces or pay dearly to learn to simulate emotions. (Fantasy)
Firewall by Sean Rodman — Josh is a gamer. After his parents’ divorce and his move from Chicago to a small town where he doesn’t know anybody, he copes by staying up way too late playing Killswitch online. Then he discovers a “mod” version of the game that is an exact reproduction of his new town. Strange things start to happen in the game, and they are somehow connected with events in the real world. (Thriller)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling — You may have heard about this story: rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches. Available through April 30th. (Fantasy)
The Haters by Jesse Andrews — A groundbreaking road trip adventure about music, love, friendship, and freedom as three young musicians follow a quest to escape the law long enough to play the amazing show they hope (but also doubt) they have in them. (Realistic fiction)
Macbeth: A Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds — Something wicked this way comes . . .Dark ambitions, madness, and murder. Shakespeare’s classic story of a man’s reckless quest for power springs to life in Gareth Hinds’s masterful new graphic novel. (Graphic novel)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews — Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia. (Realistic fiction)
Out Of Tune by Norah McClintock — When Alicia, a talented violinist at Riley Donovan’s high school, is found bludgeoned to death in a field on the outskirts of town, suspicion immediately falls on Carrie, the teen’s musical rival. But Riley isn’t convinced of Carrie’s guilt, and even though her police-officer aunt tells her to stay out of it, Riley goes searching for the truth. (Mystery)
POE: Stories and Poems by Gareth Hinds — In stories and poems written well over a century ago, Edgar Allan Poe established himself as the original American master of gothic horror. Now, acclaimed artist-adapter Gareth Hinds translates Poe’s dark genius into the graphic novel format for Poe fans new and old. (Graphic novel)
Set You Free by Jeff Ross – The mayor’s 6-year-old son is missing and Lauren’s brother Tom, is the main suspect. To the people of Resurrection Falls, Tom is the freak who once tried to lure a kid into the woods. If Tom is innocent, why has he vanished? Lauren is determined to uncover the truth. (Mystery)
Trial By Fire by Norah McClintock — Riley Donovan is the new kid in town. When her next-door neighbor’s barn catches on fire, with him inside it, Riley helps save him. But rather than being hailed a hero, Riley finds herself a target of harassment. When her neighbor is accused of starting the fire, Riley believes he is innocent and is determined to prove it — even it means making powerful enemies. (Mystery)
NONFICTION
Alexander Hamilton by Teri Kanefield — Here is the story that epitomizes the American dream — a poor immigrant who made good in America. In the end, Hamilton rose from poverty through his intelligence and ability, and did more to shape our country than any of his contemporaries.
Can Your Smartphone Change The World? by Erinne Paisley — This how-to manual looks at specific ways you can create social change through the tap of a screen. Filled with examples of successful hashtag campaigns, viral videos and new socially conscious apps, Paisley provides practical advice for using your smartphone as a tool for social justice.
Careers In Computer Forensics by Terry Teague Meyer — Used as a powerful tool by both criminals and crime fighters, computers are now providing the virtual fingerprints, footprints, and smoking guns in many criminal investigations. The various kinds of jobs available at the local, state, and federal level are detailed, as are the relevant academic and professional requirements and expectations. Also covered are careers in the private sector relating to corporate security and anti-hacking efforts.
Every Falled Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by Sungju Lee — The first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, this is the intense memoir of a North Korean boy named Sungju who was forced at age twelve to live on the streets and fend for himself. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, “his brothers,” to daily be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution.
Financial Aid Smarts: Getting Money For School by Lisa Wade McCormick — Offers teens advice on college financial aid, how to search for financial aid, how to plan ahead, how to protect the future, and more.
Getting Paid To Manage Social Media by Don Rauf — This insightful and authoritative text shows young people how to develop a career in the nascent world of social media. Interviews and quotes with industry professionals and leaders show young people how to build their social media resumes and discover their own interests and talents within the field.
H0w To Create Digital Portfolios To Showcase Your Achievements and Interests by Anita Louise McCormick — In today’s world, creating a digital portfolio that showcases academic and personal achievements is one of the best ways for students to present their accomplishments to organizations, college administrators, and potential employers. This book will help readers learn how to select the best digital portfolio for their needs and know what to include so their accomplishments will truly stand out.
Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific by Mary Cronk Farrell — In the early 1940s, young women enlisted for peacetime duty as U.S. Army nurses. But when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 blasted the United States into World War II, 101 American Army and Navy nurses serving in the Philippines were suddenly treating wounded and dying soldiers while bombs exploded all around them.
This Land Is Our Land: A History of American Immigration by Linda Barrett Osborne — Explores the way government policy and popular responses to immigrant groups evolved throughout U.S. history, particularly between 1800 and 1965. Osborne concludes with a summary of events up to contemporary times, as immigration again becomes a hot-button issue. A 2017 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction finalist!
What Degree Do I Need To Pursue a Career in Information Technology & Information Systems? by David Kasnoff — This helpful, highly informative resource guides readers through the educational paths that can prepare them most effectively for a job in IT, weighing the pros and cons of certificate programs, two- and four-year degree programs, online degrees, and graduate degrees.
You Can Do A Graphic Novel by Barbara Slate — A guide to creating visual stories, from a single panel to a graphic novel, from a veteran in the field! Barbara Slate guides aspiring graphic storytellers through the same process she learned in her early days working for Marvel and DC Comics — a process she has simplified for the classes she teaches in schools, libraries, and colleges.