This Week in the Library

Dewey's 300's and Waynetta & the Cornstalk

2010-12-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

Who knew that there was more to the 300's than holidays and fairy tales? Well, now the kids at Fox Hollow know and they are excited about it! We looked at examples from each 10's group in the 300's and they have been flying off of the shelves. Most specifically 393 Death Customs, 350's military science and warfare books, 391 Costume and Personal Appearance, and the 395 books on Etiquette.

To keep with the theme, I have been telling the students Jack and the Beanstalk and then teaching them what a Fractured Fairy Tale is and then reading Waynetta and the Cornstalk. It may be my awful "Texan" accent or the idea of golden cowpats, but they prefer Waynetta to Jack! We've had a lot of fun with the 300's this week!

Dewey Decimal Fun & Jack Prelutsky's It's Thanksgiving

2010-11-11T10:57:00.001-08:00

3rd-6th graders are so SMART! This week, I have been testing their non-fiction shelving skills and most students are masters of Dewey! I've also been using a worksheet from The Complete Library Skills-Grade 3. The page Ordering Dewey Call Numbers has been a hit.

via

With my younger grades, I am teaching them how to say "Prelutsky" and reading to them from It's Thanksgiving. They have been loving these poems. Some of the classes have a couple of them memorized because their teachers have shared them. We are having a great time this week!

Spot the Plot

2010-04-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

This week in the library I am playing a game using the book SPOT THE PLOT: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles. This book is a phenomenal way to get the students thinking.

This book is full of books without titles on the front. There is a boy detective, a girl detective, and their 2 helpers; a dog and a cat. Through the clues given, the reader helps them figure out which book it is!

We have been sitting in a circle on the floor. I start reading the riddle and as soon as a hand goes up, I stop. I roll them a ball and once they have it, they can give me their answer. If they were wrong, I continue with the riddle. I have been doing with with K-6. They all have been doing a great job!

I am having the kids create their own book riddle to share next week.

Here is a picture of one of the riddles from the book:

I hope you have the answer!

We're BACK!

2009-08-26T12:17:00.001-07:00

This YEAR in the library we are
Library Pirates and we are going to Hook a Book to discover a treasure.

I am so excited for another year at Fox Hollow. This week in the library we are going over the rules on the contract. I do this every year to remind students and parents about the rules for our library.

Music in Our School Month

2009-03-12T07:31:00.001-07:00

This week for Music in our Schools month, I have been reading a book called Play, Mozart, Play by Peter Sis. We've been listening to Wolfgang's music and talking about his life. Did you know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart learned his first piece in only a half of an hour and 3 days before he turned 5? That he wrote his own first composition later that year? That by age six he could play the harpsichord, violin, and organ and was touring Europe as its latest child sensation?

An interesting fact is that his sister also was a musical genius and toured with him, but she is usually not remembered. I believe it is because Mozart composed so many (over 600) pieces of music of which some are sung or listened to still every day.

He wrote the song that people have put nursery rhymes (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star & Baa Baa Black Sheep) and the alphabet to.

Thanks Peter Sis for an excellent book and thanks Mozart for all of your hard work.

Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis

2009-01-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

In November of 2008, 3 toys were inducted into the toy hall of fame. I included the article below. One of these 3 was the stick.

This week for library I am telling them about the stick's entry into the hall of fame and also reading the story Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis.

This is the follow up to her first book Not A Box.

The illustrations are simple and intriguing. She shows imagination in a way that children can relate to. I am reading this book to all grades and have had the same response from all of them: laughter & excitement!

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Stick inducted into toy hall of fame

November 2008

A magic wand, a knight's sword, a fishing rod?

Strong National Museum of PlayChief curator Chris Bensch of the Strong National Museum of Play holds the stick that was inducted into the toy hall of fame.

The lowly stick, a universal plaything powered by a child's imagination, has landed in the National Toy Hall of Fame along with Baby Doll and the skateboard.

The trio was chosen Thursday to join the Strong National Museum's all-star lineup. Previous inductees range from the bicycle and Mr. Potato Head to Crayola crayons and the cardboard box.

Curators at the Rochester museum say the stick is a special addition. They praised its all-purpose, all-natural, no-cost qualities and its ability to serve either as raw material or an appendage transformed by imaginations into something else.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

This month we spotlighted the 300's, 398's and 400's sections in the Dewey Decimal System. The kids learned that the 300's are social sciences, but that the 398's are a fun section full of tall tales, folk tales, legends and fairy tales. The 400's section is the languages section. They have been eager to check out our English Wordplay books and our German or Sign-Language dictionaries.

I shared (with older grades) a beautiful story by Eve Bunting called December.

This week they got to hear The Night Before Christmas and open presents for the library...
NEW BOOKS!

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thank You-Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith

2008-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

This week I thought it would be fun to spotlight one of my favorite duos in children's books.

For library this week, we are talking about books written by Jon Scieszka & Illustrated by Lane Smith. In conjunction with Thanksgiving, we are writing thank you letters to them!

I am grateful that these two creative geniuses found each other and created these crazy, silly, amazing books.

check out the website http://www.jsworldwide.com/just_the_facts.html

Yay for Activity Sheets! & Grateful A Song of Giving Thanks

2008-11-12T13:30:00.001-08:00

This week in the library I am doing Thanksgiving activity sheets with grades 1-6 and reading a book about giving thanks to the Kindergarteners. I chose not to read it to the upper grades because I read it last year and they've all heard it.

With the Kindergarteners, when I am reading, I told them to cross their arms and give themselves a hug if they are thankful for anything we talk about. They are grateful for everything!!! When we look at the pictures, we talk about if there is anything the picture reminds them of that they are thankful for. I love to hear their answers, which range from food, family, and home to "playing tackle football with my brothers". I feel so lucky to be able to hear what they are thankful for.

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

This week I am reading the book Thanksgiving Day. This is a great picture book that reminds us where the holiday originally came from.

This month we are discussing the 100's and the 200's in the Non-Fiction area.

100's-Philosophy and Psychology
For our library this means: books about friends and feelings

200's-Religion & Mythology
Books on different religions or religious stories. Also books on mythology.

Thanks for those who helped me read since I've lost my voice!

2008-10-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

For the upcoming Halloween holiday, I chose to read a book that is a little scary!
This week we read the book Wolf's Coming! by Joe Kulka.

Older classes (3rd and up) have discussed voting and that it is important. They voted on if they read the book or if I read the book.

We talked about how you can't judge a book by its cover and this book is a great example of that.

**Thanks for all of the support and help during the book fair! I am in the process of making orders for more books to fill this library for the children and it is thanks to all of you.**

This Week we are...

2008-10-01T16:38:00.001-07:00

YAY!

Kindergarten got to check out books!

They also learned how to put books on the shelf using the call number (the books address) and how to turn pages.
WAY TO GO!

1st & 2nd grades heard a story
by Anne Davis called Bud and Gabby.
I spoke about friendship & the golden rule. We also talked about how sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone and to be grateful!

3rd-6th
Learning age appropriate ways to organize the non-fiction (dewey) and fiction sections.

The fiction and picture sections are organized alphabetically by the author's last name.
EX: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Call number is FIC R.

Something I always tell them for the Non-Fiction section is NUMBERS FIRST!

A quick nonfiction lesson for parents:
Let's say you have 5 books that all belong in a certain section (let's say Arts & Recreation, the 700's).

796 K
753 B
700 Z
796 A
720 W

What order do they go in???

NUMBERS FIRST!
If there are 2 books with the same number, then you go alphabetically.

Some kids think the book with the A should go first because alphabetically it is first. Look below for the answer!

700 Z
720 W
753 B
796 A
796 K

(They would appear left to right on the shelf)

I am so proud of these students! They are so eager to learn! KEEP IT UP!

This Weeks Author Birthdays & Bookfair Preview

2008-09-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Our school's bookfair will be in 2 weeks.
Items bought at the bookfair help the library get more books for students to check out!

Books to watch for are:

For younger readers-
Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris by Jane O'Connor
The Puppy Place: Princess by Ellen Miles
Spiders by Nic Bishop
Lily Brown's Paintings by Angela Johnson; Illustrated by E.B. Lewis (beautiful!)
Other titles
Dinosaur Cove, Planet Earth, Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble, Pokemon, Pirates Don't Change Diapers, Star Wars, Pinkalicious, Camp Rock

For Older Readers-
Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day by Meg Cabot
Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan
Elijah Of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newberry Winner)
Other Titles
a Crooked Kind of perfect, Deep Dark and Dangerous, Seekers, Listen!, The Missing, Elephant Run, Hannah Montana, Goosebumps

There will be many more titles! A flyer will be coming home next week. THANKS!

This week's author birthdays, interesting facts & wacky holidays include:

21-H.G Wells
Taro Yashima
International Day of Peace

22-Esphyr Slobodkina
1789-US Post Office opened
1862-Abraham Lincoln makes Emancipation Declaration
Dear Diary Day
Hobbit Day
Family Day
Elephant Appreciation day
Narional White Chocolate Day

23-1846-German Astronomer Johann Galle discovers Neptune

24-Jane Curry
Wilson Rawls
Jim Henson
World's 1st toy store opened

25-Shel Silverstein
1971-The game Uno debuted
National Comic Book Day

26-John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) I'm related!
1887-The Record Player was released.
National Pancake Day

27-Bernard Waber
Paul Goble
R.E.A.D. in America Day
Crush a Can Day

It's Just an Expression!

2008-09-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

Some of my favorite moments from this past week :

When showing the new books, hearing the whole class gasp with excitement...THAT is a great sound.

I shared some new books with everyone that were full of idioms.
I taught the Kindergarten Classes to say, "It's Just an EXPRESSION!".
They learned one or more of these idioms:

'you let the cat out of the bag'
'cold shoulder'
'spill the beans'
'paint the town red'
'got up on the wrong side of the bed'
'egg on your face'

We had a great time!

On Friday, every class that came in got a mini lesson on how to talk like a pirate.
So, I figured you might now need a mini lesson in case they come home and speak pirate at you.

Ahoy! - Hello
Avast! - Stop and pay attention
Aye! - in agreeance
Aye aye! - I'll do it captain
Nay! - No
Me - My
Booty - Pirate Treasure
Shiver Me Timbers - an expression of surprise
Mate or Matey - a friend of a pirate or a fellow pirate
Hearties - Friends
Lubber or Land Lubber - someone who wants to stay on the land
Smartly or Handsomely - Quickly
Savvy? - You know?

NEW BOOKS!

2008-09-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that we just received a shipment of new books!

This week I will be showcasing them to each class and they will be ready for them to check out next week.

This Weeks Author Birthdays
15th-James Fenimore Cooper; Last of the Mohicans
Robert McCloskey; Blueberries for Sal (Caldecott Honor)
16th-H.A. Rey; Curious George Series
17th-Gail Carson Levine; Ella Enchanted, Fairest, etc.

This Friday, September 19th, is National Talk Like A Pirate Day!
I felt it was appropriate to include this wacky holiday since we do have a PIRATE LIBRARY!

BE A LIBRARY PIRATE! HOOK A BOOK!

This Saturday, September 13th, is Roald Dahl day

2008-09-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

This week in the library... we are celebrating Roald Dahl's birthday.

Roald Dahl is a beloved author of many children's books. He lead a very interesting life. The students are learning about his experiences, likes and dislikes, and about his writing.

*Interesting Fact:
Dahl wrote the screenplay for the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Check out his fantastic, kid-friendly website at www.roalddahl.com.

September is...
Classical Music Month
National Library Card Sign-up Month
Read A New Book Month