Here's a sneak peek of what we've got ... my plan is to add them to the catalog tomorrow before school. If you see this blog post today and want to borrow one of the books below, come see me first thing on Monday to place your hold!
Showing posts with label what the kids are reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label what the kids are reading. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2015
THANK YOU SPIE!
Thanks to the generosity of SPIE, the library was able to use bookfair proceeds to acquire nearly two dozen in-demand titles from Scholastic. What a treat to get brand-new books in the middle of the year. THANK YOU!!!!
Here's a sneak peek of what we've got ... my plan is to add them to the catalog tomorrow before school. If you see this blog post today and want to borrow one of the books below, come see me first thing on Monday to place your hold!
Here's a sneak peek of what we've got ... my plan is to add them to the catalog tomorrow before school. If you see this blog post today and want to borrow one of the books below, come see me first thing on Monday to place your hold!
And the Winner Is ... Gaston!
85 students chose from among
9 Mock Caldecott finalists, and
1 came out on top with
18 votes:
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson
9 Mock Caldecott finalists, and
1 came out on top with
18 votes:
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Mock Caldecott Review - Rooms 1 and 2
Voting for the Monday kids was delayed by snow days, but they finally got to choose their winner ... which will be revealed in my next post! Here are the first grade students giving the contenders one last read:
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
New Books from DonorsChoose!
DonorsChoose is a fantastic web site that connects teachers who post projects with people who want to help out schools by donating money.
We've had several funded projects this year. Part of the thank-you package is sharing photos of the kids using the materials; I thought I would post some of them here as well.
(And if you'd like to help us get more Babymouse and Squish graphic novels, you can donate online.)
We've had several funded projects this year. Part of the thank-you package is sharing photos of the kids using the materials; I thought I would post some of them here as well.
(And if you'd like to help us get more Babymouse and Squish graphic novels, you can donate online.)
Sloth fiction and nonfiction
Mysteries
Gross Body Science
Monday, January 19, 2015
Mock Caldecott Finalists - Final Batch
 |
| source: simonandschuster.com |
Words: Kelly DiPucchio
Pictures: Christian Robinson
Mrs. Poodle has four children: Fi-fi, Foo-foo, Ooh la la, and Gaston. He doesn't really look like his sisters. He doesn't really act like his sisters (although he tries). When they meet Mrs. Bulldog and her four children - three boys and a girl - at the park, the two families think that maybe there's been a mixup. Or has there?
I was so happy that a student in each class was able to articulate the message of the book: just be yourself, and accept others for being themselves as well.
Rhyming text, vivid verbs, and fantastic illustrations add up to a fun readaloud. I may use it in the future to kick off a first-grade insect classification unit.
Pictures: Christian Robinson
Mrs. Poodle has four children: Fi-fi, Foo-foo, Ooh la la, and Gaston. He doesn't really look like his sisters. He doesn't really act like his sisters (although he tries). When they meet Mrs. Bulldog and her four children - three boys and a girl - at the park, the two families think that maybe there's been a mixup. Or has there?
I was so happy that a student in each class was able to articulate the message of the book: just be yourself, and accept others for being themselves as well.
 |
| source: simonandschuster.com |
Some Bugs
Words: Angela DiTerlizzi
Pictures: Brendan Wenzel
Pictures: Brendan Wenzel
Rhyming text, vivid verbs, and fantastic illustrations add up to a fun readaloud. I may use it in the future to kick off a first-grade insect classification unit.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Mock Caldecott Finalists - Batch 3
Circle, Square, Moose!
Go, Go, Go, Stop!
When I started going through picture books getting "Caldecott buzz" over the summer, this was one of the first ones I put in the "my kids will like this" pile. I was not wrong. It could be because of the construction vehicles; it could be because the kids got to yell "Go!" and "Stop!" Either way, I'm glad they liked it.
Words: Kelly Bingham
Pictures: Paul O. Zelinsky
If you've read Z is for Zebra, then you've already met Moose. He LOVES to be the center of attention, and he thinks that he deserves to be included as a star character in every book. This one got a lot of belly laughs from first graders.
The trailer below includes the voices of lots of famous children's authors and illustrators ... make sure to watch the credits.
Pictures: Paul O. Zelinsky
 |
| source: harpercollins.com |
If you've read Z is for Zebra, then you've already met Moose. He LOVES to be the center of attention, and he thinks that he deserves to be included as a star character in every book. This one got a lot of belly laughs from first graders.
The trailer below includes the voices of lots of famous children's authors and illustrators ... make sure to watch the credits.
 |
| source: harpercollins.com |
Charise Mericle Harper
When I started going through picture books getting "Caldecott buzz" over the summer, this was one of the first ones I put in the "my kids will like this" pile. I was not wrong. It could be because of the construction vehicles; it could be because the kids got to yell "Go!" and "Stop!" Either way, I'm glad they liked it.
Mock Caldecott Finalist - Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
 |
| source: macbarnett.com |
Words: Mac Barnett
Pictures: Jon Klassen
I had so much fun reading this one, because the text NEEDS the pictures to give the full effect: Sam and Dave keep JUST missing "something spectacular" as they dig their hole. The students were FREAKING out as they dug next to, around, and below humongous jewels.
Here are Mac and Jon acting out some of the book:
Pictures: Jon Klassen
I had so much fun reading this one, because the text NEEDS the pictures to give the full effect: Sam and Dave keep JUST missing "something spectacular" as they dig their hole. The students were FREAKING out as they dug next to, around, and below humongous jewels.
Here are Mac and Jon acting out some of the book:
And if you'd like tips on How to Dig a Hole, check out this episode of "Digging Deep with David Rees."
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Mock Caldecott Finalists - Batch 2
We're all about the birds in this post.
The Pigeon Needs a Bath
Mo Willems
Perennial favorite The Pigeon has a new problem this year - he stinks! He is dirty and gross and refuses to take a bath. Even the flies think he is nasty ... the "text evidence" is found in their declarations of "P.U!" and "Take a bath, dude!"
Will he ever get clean?
Special thanks to Isabella M. for donating our copy of this book to the library last year.
Froodle
Antoinette Portis
We all know what sounds animals make, right? And birds? Like "caw," "coo," "chip," and "peep"? Well, what happens when a little brown bird decides she wants to say something new?
This is a fun readaloud to do when the students help me say all the birds' new words. Oobly snoobly!
 |
| source: copychief.com |
Mo Willems
Perennial favorite The Pigeon has a new problem this year - he stinks! He is dirty and gross and refuses to take a bath. Even the flies think he is nasty ... the "text evidence" is found in their declarations of "P.U!" and "Take a bath, dude!"
Will he ever get clean?
Special thanks to Isabella M. for donating our copy of this book to the library last year.
 |
| source: macmillan.com |
Antoinette Portis
We all know what sounds animals make, right? And birds? Like "caw," "coo," "chip," and "peep"? Well, what happens when a little brown bird decides she wants to say something new?
This is a fun readaloud to do when the students help me say all the birds' new words. Oobly snoobly!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Mock Caldecott Finalists - Batch 1
Each January, the American Library Association awards the Caldecott Medal to the artist of "the most distinguished American picture book for children." Who will win in 2014? Well, first- and second-graders are going to make their pick in library, and we'll see how our choice lines up with the national award.
After round one, the following were cleared to move on with near unanimity:
Don't Play With Your Food!
Bob Shea
Bob Shea wrote and illustrated last year's winner, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great. I let him know via Twitter, and he appreciated it ... here we are meeting in person at the Lincoln school author event back in October:
His latest starts Buddy the Monster, who is determined to eat the cute little bunnies he comes across ... but they seem to be able to outwit him. The book started out slightly differently. Here is his original storyboard (with narration):
My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I am Not.)
Peter Brown
I LOVED that in every second-grade class, at least one person recognized Brown's style from last year's finalist Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. It's very different from the one he used in Creepy Carrots, which I ready to the first-graders last year in kindergarten.
One thing I like about this book is that the pictures help to tell the story. The moment when the kids realize that the teacher is changing color and shape is awesome!
You can download a parent/teacher kit that goes with the book.
Don't Play With Your Food!Bob Shea
Bob Shea wrote and illustrated last year's winner, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great. I let him know via Twitter, and he appreciated it ... here we are meeting in person at the Lincoln school author event back in October:
 |
| source: bobshea.com |
His latest starts Buddy the Monster, who is determined to eat the cute little bunnies he comes across ... but they seem to be able to outwit him. The book started out slightly differently. Here is his original storyboard (with narration):
Peter Brown
 |
| peterbrownstudio.com |
I LOVED that in every second-grade class, at least one person recognized Brown's style from last year's finalist Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. It's very different from the one he used in Creepy Carrots, which I ready to the first-graders last year in kindergarten.
One thing I like about this book is that the pictures help to tell the story. The moment when the kids realize that the teacher is changing color and shape is awesome!
You can download a parent/teacher kit that goes with the book.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Room 2 Checkout Day
On checkout days, I like to have activities for the kids to
participate in once they've selected their book(s). Today, we had two
options:
1. Practice your alphabet skills with this game from Learning Planet
2. Work on puzzles.
Some kids opted to read their books with their friends, which is great too. I read Creepy Carrots to the kids last year, and Mrs. DeMarzo read Duck Soup, both of which were in demand today.
1. Practice your alphabet skills with this game from Learning Planet
2. Work on puzzles.
Some kids opted to read their books with their friends, which is great too. I read Creepy Carrots to the kids last year, and Mrs. DeMarzo read Duck Soup, both of which were in demand today.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Summer Reading: RICBA Books
Kids going into grades 3-6 will be eligible to vote for the Rhode Island Children's Book Award if they read 3 of the 20 nominees.
I'm making my way through the list and encourage students to do the same ... why not get started over the summer? If you read one of the RICBA books, add a comment below to tell other kids what you thought. Include your last year's room number and initials, but not your full name.
Out of the 12 I've read so far, this is the one I'd be voting for if I could:
Doll Bones by Holly Black Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.
I'm making my way through the list and encourage students to do the same ... why not get started over the summer? If you read one of the RICBA books, add a comment below to tell other kids what you thought. Include your last year's room number and initials, but not your full name.
Out of the 12 I've read so far, this is the one I'd be voting for if I could:
Doll Bones by Holly Black Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Book Recommendations from Maliyah
Do you have favorite books that you think other students should read too? You can be in charge of the recommendation shelf for a week! Just give Ms. Moore a list of 4-8 books that you love (and that we have at the Stadium library).
Here are some of Maliyah's picks ... I loved that she included The View from Saturday, one of my favorites:
Here are some of Maliyah's picks ... I loved that she included The View from Saturday, one of my favorites:
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Mock Caldecott Voting in Action
First and second graders cast their votes this week ... winner to be revealed in the next post!
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