Boys Read

There's so much excitement for reading happening with the second grade boys this year, and they are coming to me and initiating the most fun conversation about it! I keep hearing, "Mrs. Maher, have you ever read...?" As they describe in detail the series that they've discovered, their eyes twinkle, and it is obvious that they've found books to love. Here's what they're saying...

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Destiny and Dinosaurs

There's always something to celebrate in the library! This month it's dinosaurs. Did you know that our library has 210 books about dinosaurs on the shelves? Look for yourself. Our Parish libraries recently upgraded our software to Destiny. Click here and take some time at home to explore and look for books that you might want to read. The 2nd graders are doing a great job finding books in the library!

Tour of Our Library

Months ago, an elementary librarian in Bangkok had an idea that I loved. She posted a tour of the library in her International School and suggested that other librarians do the same. I used our Flip camera in a walk through our library. I'm excited that other librarians and visitors might see this place where so much happens at our school. Thanks, Tara, for this great idea and so many others!

Bruce Coville and Story Book House

I was so lucky to meet and chat with the talented and wildly successful author, Bruce Coville, this weekend at The Story Book House. Bruce has published more than 100 books. I loved visiting with this phenomenal author because he so obviously loves writing for and talking with children. His Moongobble and Me series is one of my favorites. Dragon of Doom is the first book in this fun-to-read series. Moongobble is a magician who has a lot of trouble casting his spells. Edward is a neighbor boy who works as Moongobble's apprentice. Together, they face the fearsome Dragon of Doom. This fast paced series has the magical feel of Harry Potter, but it is written for younger readers. Be sure to look for these and other Bruce Coville books in our library.

I have often dreamed of owning a children's bookstore and imagined what it would be like. The Story Book House is that bookstore of my dreams! Not only are they located in a wonderful 100 year old house that is home to a fantastic collection of children's books, they also have an amazing gallery of original illustrations from children's picture books. The owners have a commitment to literacy and so obviously share a love and excitement about reading. Their events calendar is full of fantastic author visits. You will want to plan a visit to this independent book store. You'll love it!

One Read-Aloud

Ask anyone in kindergarten, first grade, or second grade about the book that they are listening to at read aloud time in their classrooms, and you'll hear all about a little boy's quest to rescue a baby dragon from Wild Island. Everybody's reading My Father's Dragon, the 1949 Newbery Honor Book written by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Having a common read-aloud at the beginning of the school year is really a fun way to build excitement and encourage conversation about reading. Does anyone know how chewing gum, toothpaste, and hair ribbons helped the boy get closer to the dragon? How could the boy use SIX magnifying glasses? Be sure to ask a Panther reader!

Baby Panthers Read

Do you have a little Panther Cub at your house?
The Hillcrest Library is beginning to build a collection of books just for our youngest Panther Cubs (little brothers and sisters of our Pre-K - 2nd grade students.) Study after study reports the benefit of reading with our children from the time that they are babies. Check this PBS website for a great description of reading milestones for babies and toddlers. It’s never too early to begin to grow baby bookworms. Babies begin to show an interest in books at about four months. They might prefer chewing on them to listening to them at this age, but over the next few months they begin to enjoy the stories that they hear over and over again, and they especially begin to enjoy hearing the language and experiencing the closeness and routine of sharing books.


These happy baby booklovers drop their toys and come crawling to hear Charise Mericle Harper’s Good Night, Leo as part of their nightly bedtime routine. Making books a fun part of each day is the best way to encourage a lifelong love of reading.

I hope you'll find a comfortable spot to sit together and enjoy some of these new books with your little ones. Happy reading!

Audio Books and Literacy

The road to becoming a reader begins with hearing stories and books read aloud. Research shows that when children listen to reading that it fosters the process of phonemic awareness and provides a model for fluent reading. It also provides an opportunity for the reader to be exposed to new vocabulary. Audio books can be a fantastic tool for developing literacy.
Today I cataloged and bagged over 40 new audio books for the library. These will be available for checkout when school begins. I know that the students will love being able to listen to reading and to read along with these terrific books. They'll be a perfect way to spend some of that driving and waiting time in the car.
Members of the Screen Actors Guild read books aloud to children at Storyline Online. You'll want to explore this site.
Our subscription to Tumblebooks is also being well used! Already, almost 800 books have been listened to or read! If you've missed seeing and checking out this resource, click here to go directly to the site:
http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp

User name: parishreads
Password: tumble