EARLY Morning Book Club

Our very first, very early book club met this morning to discuss Just Grace by Cherise Mericle Harper.  Sixteen second grade girls set their alarms  and gathered in the library for Just Grace's superpower French toast and great book discussion.  This group of readers made wonderful and insightful connections with the story.  There is definitely a powerful and growing community of readers in our second grade!

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You!

These second graders loved Mary Ann Hoberman's You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together.  The stories are written for two voices, and they are full of rhythm, rhyme, and repetition. 

Dads and Books

One of the most exciting days of the school year is the day that fathers and other special friends come to visit.  I love it when they come to the library.  This year, some second graders chose three books that they wanted to make sure to show their dads.  We had these ready to go when the dads and special friends arrived.  After exploring these books, some of the dads remembered books that they enjoyed as a young reader.  We used Destiny (second graders demonstrated how) to see if our library owned those books.  Dads got to check out books, too.  Come back to the library anytime.  We love dads and books!

Lois Ehlert

Lois Ehlert is one of the author/illustrators that I want ALL of the Panthers to know.  She inspires creativity and using your hands to make things.  Her HANDS book is one that held countless connections for me.  She recounts the ways that her parents used their hands and tools in their creations and the encouragement that they gave to her to be a maker.  This is where her determination to become an artist was born.  My parents must have been cut from the same cloth.  I have many of the very same tools that Ehlert  displayed, and we created a small gallery of those items.  The comments that I heard from students as we examined the books left me with a smile.  "My dad has a workshop with those kinds of tools, and he taught me how to hammer, too!"  "I want to learn to sew!"  We are growing a new generation of makers.  Come by the library, take a look, and be inspired by Lois Ehlert.

Bless Our Pets!

 The grassy hill outside the library was filled with the sweetest pets arriving for Blessing of the Animals this week. We took the opportunity to read some of our newest pet books at story time in the library. I think that these books will have so many fans on the waiting list for check outs!
 

Hispanic Heritage Month

Every year we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 - October 15. Hispanic culture is comprised of a very diverse population from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. This month is a wonderful time to learn more about the contributions of American citizens with Hispanic ancestors. Stop in the library and check out our resources! Want to know more? Check out this wonder from Wonderopolis!

ONE Read-Aloud

Today marks the beginning of our annual ONE Read-Aloud. The teachers in all of the classes kindergarten - 2nd grade are reading Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst. This is the first book in an early chapter book series by the beloved author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Reading the same book aloud across the grade levels helps to grow our community of readers. Conversation about our ONE book can carry over from members of different classes and even to the dinner tables of K-2nd siblings.

When our readers were asked, about 50% reported that they liked pickles, but when Lulu's favorite pickle sandwiches were offered for tasting, many more discovered that dills are delicious!

We're Humming Again!

The library is back in full swing! The fun and much loved books by Mo Willems are part of EVERY classroom visit this week. If you don't know Mo yet, come by the library to check him out!

Summer Readers

What and where are you reading this summer?

Ready for Summer!

Our Library Voices blog is back just in time to share some great summer book love!  I hope everyone is ready for a summer reading challenge.  Remember to read or listen to reading every day.  Choose books that you love, and share reading ideas with your family and friends.  Check back here often to see what reading adventures your friends are having.  Where and what will you read this summer?

Inquiry and Frogs

The second grade STEM curriculum includes cycles in nature, and this year I bought several new books for the library to add to our frog text set.  We prepared for the arrival of their classroom frogs with the visible thinking routine "Think, Wonder, Explore."  In the classroom, the students connected to their prior knowledge about frogs, and they wondered and asked questions that began the inquiry process.  In the library, we practiced using Destiny to find library resources.  They explored  books, periodicals, and online resources including PebbleGo, WorldBookKids, and NationalGeographicKids.  We talked about and practiced giving credit to the sources of information.  They were thrilled to share and display their findings in their classrooms.  This routine really fanned the excitement for the arrival of the tadpoles.  I predict that there will be more and more wonders as those tadpoles grow. 

New Beginnings

There is evidence of new beginnings all around us in the library...new shelves, new books, new displays, new teachers with new ideas, and excited new readers.  We are starting the new school year with our annual "One Read-Aloud" for kindergarten, first and second grades. All of the classes are reading My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett.  A Newbery Honor winner in 1949, it is certainly not a "new" book, but it is definitely a new favorite for the children who read or hear it for the first time!   This story is packed with opportunities for describing characters (our wordle of Elmer Elevator), making predictions, and creating mental images.  What a great way to launch our new year of reading!

Poetry Month

Poetry Month really rocked the library!  This was our first Poetry Madness experience, and it is definitely destined to be an annual April event.  We started with "Sweet Sixteen" poems in the bracket. (What a challenge to choose those poems!)  Two poems went home each night with homework.  The kindergarten, first and second graders read them with parents and brothers and sisters.  They talked about what they noticed and liked about the two competing poems and circled their favorite. The poems were returned to the library each morning so that the votes could be tallied and the winning poem could move to the next bracket.  I never imagined the excitement that this poetry competition could produce.  I was amazed, too, that so many students were inspired to write their own poetry and display it in the library for others to read.  It was a great lead-in to "Poem in Your Pocket Day."  Everyone got involved. Some crafty kindergarteners with pocketless uniforms made their own pockets on a string.

Book Fair

There were little gasps and twinkling eyes as classes of children discovered the transformation of library to book fair.  There is just something incredibly fun and exciting about exploring and shopping for books with friends and family right in our own space.  These pictures tell the story.  Happy reading to all!

Reading Buddies...again...

Another look....
There's just nothing more joyful to witness than the second grade and kindergarten reading buddies in action. 
 

Panther Paw Winners!

The Panther Paw results are in!  This year's voting was very interesting!  As usual, all of the books received votes.  I love that every book was someone's favorite!  This year, two books tied for the winning title (23 votes each), and two more books tied (20 votes each) as "honor book" winners.  I believe that ALL students in K - 2nd grade and dozens of parents and older siblings cast their votes.  Many, many readers commented on all of the fantastic books on the list.  Families and classrooms compared their thoughts and favorites.  Talking about reading...wonderful!
Everyone who read all 21 titles was eligible to enter the contest to win the entire set of books for their classroom.  A first grade girl thrilled her class when her name was drawn.  Congratulations to all of our readers!

Barking for Books!

Second graders were privileged to meet the author of  The Buddy Files series, Dori Butler,  via Skype this week.  Her books  have been  some of the most circulated books in the library for the last two years, and they were a fun choice for a second grade book club.  She told us about her real dog "Mouse" who was the inspiration for her mysteries. We learned about her writing process and the time she spends writing her books. She answered our questions and showed us what the Japanese version of her books looks like.  We are so excited to learn that she is working on her next series about a haunted library.  The comment that I heard over and over..."She was so nice!"  Authors who take the time to visit with students really inspire them as readers and writers!

 Buddy's "twin sister" (My golden retriever, Annie) came to school to listen to second graders read their favorite parts of some of the books.  She L-O-V-E-S to listen to children read!
Buddy Files on PhotoPeach

One second grader discovered the Buddy Files books on our Overdrive e-book library.  He downloaded it to read at home.  I'm hoping that he will inspire some other friends to explore the great e-books available here!

Read a Biography

 The biography section in the library always gets a lot of action in the weeks preceding the second grade's wax museum.  This year, during our biography library lessons, we looked at some biographies and biographic stories of people who are not so well known.  Sure enough...Annie Edson Taylor joined the museum!  Do you know Annie?  Read about her daring feat!

Kindergarten Research

Kindergarten writers are beginning to create "All About" books in their classroom writing workshops.  Many have chosen to write about animals.  They have discovered our wonderful PebbleGo database, and they are loving it!  They are adding new facts to what they already know about their animals and what they have read in their print books.  I love that they are beginning to come to the library to research independently! 

Panther Paw 2013

This month is the start of our tenth annual Panther Paw Contest. There are twenty one fantastic new books on the list this year.  Kindergarten, first and second graders have been swarming to the library to read, read, read!  Parents and teachers are coming and going with books in their hands to share in the classroom and at home.  I love this time of year when there is so much excited book talk.  Watch for posters to spring up in the library...second graders trying to convince others to vote for their favorites.  Everyone who reads ten or more of the books on our list gets to vote in March.  Join in!  Find a new book to love.
Panther Paw 2013 on PhotoPeach