Mary Amato Visits Parish!

Our Skype visit with Mary Amato was a fantastic treat for the second grade. She told us a little bit about her new book, Take the Mummy and Run. It's on our next book order, and there's already a waiting list to check it out. She described how her own childhood with her sisters provided the background for The Chicken of the Family, and she gave some wonderful and encouraging words about writing. The second graders surprised Mary with our own version of Please Write in This Book that was inspired by her original story. This was our first adventure using Skype, and we can't wait to explore other ways to open up the walls of our library!

Monsters!

Halloween is just around the corner, and monster stories filled the library this week. Glad Monster Sad Monster: A Book About Feelings by Ed Emberley gave everyone in Pre-K I a chance to look out at their friends from behind a mask and express their ideas. We added in Emberley's Go Away, Big Green Monster! for a monstrously fun story time!

Guest Readers

One of the most exciting happenings in the library is when older students read to younger students! These second graders found that Mary Ann Hoberman's You Read to Me, I'll Read to You books are perfect for two voices. They give readers an opportunity to practice fluency and to read for an eager audience. Our new Flip video camera is getting a workout!

David Shannon's Birthday

One of our favorite authors/illustrators, David Shannon had a birthday this week. We celebrated by reading some of his books in the library. The pre-k II and kindergarten enjoyed three of his finest and funnniest...Alice the Fairy, Good Boy, Fergus, and Duck on a Bike. The kindergarten practiced making tallies by voting for their favorite on the SmartBoard. Many were heard saying, "I can't decide. I loved them all!"

Skype an Author

I have been reading a lot about Skype an Author, a network of authors who are willing to meet and visit with students for ten to fifteen minutes at no charge via Skype. We are so lucky to be meeting Mary Amato on October 28 on the SmartBoard in the library. We loved her book, Chicken of the Family, which was on our Panther Paw list last year. Please Write in This Book is another of her books that is sure to be enjoyed by second graders who like to read funny books. It's about a teacher who leaves a blank book in the writing corner and invites the students to write to each other in it. It is fun to get to know the students by reading their entries in the book. We'll be working on making a list of questions to ask Mary Amato. I can't wait to meet her!