Graphic Novels, The Trend

The Most Requested Book at Bella Vista Elementary!

A Graphic Novel is a story depicted in comic strip form. Graphic novels are very popular with elementary school ages children, especially 3rd through 6th graders.

One day a 5th grader was checking a book in to the LMC. I hadn't read the book yet so I asked her about it. She enjoyed reading the book so much she spent her entire recess explaining the storyline to me. She has read the book numerous times. Come to find out, other students are "obsessed" with this book as well.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novel based on a true story that happened to the author when she was a girl. She had an accident that caused one of her front teeth to fall out. The other front tooth went up inside her gum. She went through visit after visit to the dentist, endodontist and orthodontist. In the mean time, she was also experiencing the growing pains and social struggles common to students in middle school and high school.

This book was introduced in Bella Vista's LMC the week in January that we had only 2 1/2 days of school. By the end of this short week, 15 students had requested this book! Almost daily, we have at least one or two more students request this book. We have purchased several more copies to keep up with demand. We have also suggested our teachers purchase copies for their classrooms. We are thrilled to have a book that captures the interest of so many students.

The World at Your Fingertips

World Book Online

Students will receive bookmarks introducing World Book Online in the Media Center this week during their class visits. Many teachers have shown their students how to use World Book Online as well. Canyons School District purchased this online encyclopedia, that is constantly being updated, to enrich the educational process in schools.

www.worldbookonline.com

Students are given access to World Book Online with their Canyons School District User Id and Password located on the bookmarks. Use is permitted by students who receive the User Id and Password but not by other individuals who are not affiliated with the school district.

Starting 2012

It's Bingo Time!

In the Media Center we are starting the new year of 2012 with a game-style review of the student guidelines. Grades 2-6 play Bingo with keywords for guidelines and some fun animal pictures too. For example, "check in and check out" are keywords for students to think of guidelines for checking in and checking out books. Here are some smart answers already shared: "Check out books with Mrs. Allison or Mrs. Wilson before books can leave the Library, " "Check in books after two weeks," "Put books on White Zone/tan cart by circulation desk to check books in," "Check books in before sharing with a friend," "Renew if want to keep books longer," "Can't renew if a book is on hold for someone else," "May request a hold on a book that isn't available right now, then get it later on," The first student to cover all words and animals with beans on their Bingo card WINS! Prizes for winners include glow sticks, silly bands and trading cards.

For Kindergarten and First Graders a shorter review with fewer guidelines was given along with "mooing," I mean, reading Click, Clack, Moo; Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. Okay, we read and "mooed" together as the story unfolds...

The cows on the farm find an old typewriter. They type a note to the farmer to ask for electric blankets to keep warm on cold nights. The farmer refuses. The cows go on strike and refuse to give milk until their demands are met. Someone has to give. Will it be the farmer or the cows? What about the other animals who have needs of their own? Professional book rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

~ Dewey Decimal 800s ~

The 2nd through 6th graders also learned about the Dewey Decimal 800 section of the library. This is where books on literature are found. They saw several books and heard excerpts read from a few books on poetry, jokes, stories and plays. See these books below...

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. The poem called "Smart" was read at story time. Students who know basic money exchange and value will get a good laugh from this poem.

Agent P's Top Secret Joke Book by Disney, "What follows Agent P everywhere he goes? His tail."

Pendragon, The Guide to the Territories of Halla by D.J. MacHale. This storybook is a journey through the territories of Halla and the people that are threatened to be doomed by a deceptive demon, ironically named Saint Dane. This book is a companion guide to the successful fiction book series, Pendragon.

Shakespeare and MacBeth, The Story Behind the Play by Stewart Ross. This book takes the reader behind the scenes of the theater in Shakespeare's time. Students learned that women were not allowed to act but teenage young men filled the female roles instead. I am glad to live in a time in history when women's rights give females the opportunity to be actresses, if they so desire and we can still enjoy Shakespeare's plays.