Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Holly Newton's Book News

On Tuesday, we had an assembly with Holly Newton, who has reviewed children's books for ten years. Her website, http://newtonsbook.com is full of short reviews of dozens of books, and those reviews are grouped into categories. Her website isn't geared toward children and isn't particularly interesting to look at, but it is an excellent resource for parents who want ideas on books that get their children reading.

Holly Newton has been an educator for 25 years, teaching grades K-7. She reviews books for Meridian Magazine, as well as for a newspaper in Missouri. Holly also won the Literacy Award from the International Reading Association.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Meet the Author--Andrew Clements

Our PTA is sponsoring a Meet the Author program. Our author this month is Andrew Clements! We'll be talking about this prolific and versatile author in the library and reading from a few of his books. To read his biography, check out his website!



For grades K-2 we'll be reading "Dogku". Illustrated by Tim Bowers, this adorable book about a stray dog finding a home will please children--and possibly make them want a pet of their own. It's called "Dogku" because the story is told through a haiku on each page!









For 3rd and 4th grades, we'll be reading from "Frindle". This story is about a fifth grader who discovers the power of words by creating one.


















For 5th and 6th grades, we'll be reading from "Things Hoped For". In the first chapter, I focused on a wonderful description of Gwen's musical ability and how she rehearses for her upcoming audition. Clements has a gift for metaphors!














Ask your students about these books, and keep your eyes open for other titles by Andrew Clements!

Road to Success!

1.5 million minutes! That is our school reading goal this year! The Road to Success is a program which encourages students to read at least 20 minutes a night. It is a 30 week program--from now until May--and the prizes are fantastic. 6 bikes will be available for students to win, as well as a Barnes Noble gift certificate and 4 $50 college scholarships.

Check out the Road to Success website for a list of sponsors and ideas to get your children reading!