Polar Express

This week in the Library we read the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.  The Polar Express is a story about a magical train that takes a boy on a journey to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Clause.

 On Friday the school will show the movie.  It is fun to see how books and movies are different.  After we read the book we spent a few minutes comparing and contrasting the book and the movie.  It has been a fun week. The question is, "Do you Believe"?

Merry Christmas to all the students and families at Bella Vista. We will see you next year!

 http://destiny.canyonsdistrict.org

New Books Are Here!

Bella Vista Library received over 75 wonderful new books now available for you to check out! There is a variety of biographies, informational books, holiday books, and graphic novels. Sports biographies to check out: 

• Derrick Rose
• Kevin Durant
• Kevin Garnett
• Landon Donovan
• LeBron James
• Lionel Messi
• Peyton Manning
• Shaun White

Eye to Eye:  How Some Animals See the World (1st-4th grade) by Steve Jenkins is a fascinating non-fiction book with intricate paper collage artwork of each animals' eyes.


I especially love the book, Helen's Big World:  The Life of Helen Keller (Kindergarten and up) by Doreen Rappaport. This biography inspires me as I read quotes from Helen Keller and
learn about her life. She started out as a normal toddler who was struck with an unknown illness at the age of 18 months that left her unable to see, hear or speak. The illustrations by Matt Tavares are beautiful. Check this one out!

A humorous series both boys and girls will like are the Clementine (1st-3rd grade) books by Marcia Frazee. We received:

• Clementine's Letter
• Clementine and the Family Meeting
• Clementine and the Spring Trip

Great graphic novels for all reading levels are here:

• Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas (K-3rd grade)
• The Baby-Sitters Club:  Mary Anne saves the Day (2nd-5th grade)
• Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales:  Donner Dinner Party (3rd-7th grade)
• Sisters (3rd-7th)
• Bluffton:  My Summer with Buster Keaton (4th-7th grade)

 Fiction books you should check out are:

• School of Fear:  The Final Exam (3rd-7th grade)
• Fortunately, the Milk (3rd-7th grade)
• How to Catch a Bogle (4th-7th grade)
• Zebra Forest (4th-7th grade)
• Al Capone Does My Shirts (5th and up)
• Counting by 7s (5th and up) 

You should each be able to find something great to read!                          

Elf on the Shelf

This week in the Library we have read "The Elf on the Shelf " to each of the classes.  It just so happens that this Year Santa has sent an elf on the shelf to Bella Vista.  She keeps showing up all around the school.  You never know where she will be, but we do know she will be watching to see if the Bella Vista Students are good or not.  She loves reporting to Santa all the great things that students at Bella Vista are doing. She has seen students taking turns, following teacher directions the first time, and being kind to others. The elf has brought some notes back after her report to Santa telling some of the things Santa has said. So far she has been in our library, In Principal Prescott's office and the computer lab.  Who knows where she will be next. 

Thank you to Ms. Hunt who sent a special request to the North Pole to have a Elf on the Shelf come to Bella Vista.

LEAP into Beehive Books

This year our Beehive Book Club theme is LEAP into Beehive books.  We are excited to have our Beehive Book Club back and going.  Each of our Bella Vista Students have Decorated and Colored a frog.  They are Hanging up in front of the Media Center.

Beehive Books are books that the Children's Literature Association of Utah have nominated for the Children of the State of Utah to vote on.  There are 4 categories:  Poetry, Picture, Fiction, and Informational.  For a complete list of the 2014-2015 Beehive book Nominees please visit CLAU's website at www.clau.org.

Students are encouraged to read Beehive Books and vote on them.  The books can be checked out from our school library or any other library.  After students have read a Beehive Book, They can vote on the books in our library.  We will submit the votes in April.  After you read the Beehive Books, don't forget to sign the yellow binder so that we know what books you have read.

Most important there will be a Beehive Book Club Party in May where the winning Beehive books are announced and prizes are given out for the top readers of Beehive Books.

A big THANK YOU goes out to Bella Vista's administration and the PTA for financially supporting our Beehive Book Club!

2014 Newbery and Caldecott Award Winners

This week in our library we spotlighted the Newbery and Caldecott award winning books for 2014.  

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Newbery awards have been given out since 1922.

This years Newbery award winning book is Flora and Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo.  A girl named Flora and a squirrel named Ulysses, whose life was saved by Flora after he was involved in an incident with a vacuum cleaner, team up to use Ulysses' superpowers to conquer villains and protect the weak.



The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.Caldecott awards have been given out since 1938.

This Years Caldecott award winning book is Locomotive by Brian Floca. All aboard! Accompany a family on an unforgettable weeklong train trip from Omaha to Sacramento in 1869. Brian Floca’s dramatic watercolor, ink, acrylic and gouache illustrations incorporate meticulously-researched portraits of the train, the travelers and the crew as they traverse the American landscape on the new transcontinental railroad.

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal,http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal, Destiny

Glad to See You Back!

Welcome to the new school year.  After a week and a half, we are in full swing.  Classes are starting in the library next week on Tuesday September 2nd.  I am excited to welcome everybody back to the Library and hear about all the fun books you have read over the summer.  This year we have some fun things planned during library time so come prepared to have a GREAT time.

One big change you will notice right away is that Mrs. Allison is not here anymore.  We miss her and wish her the best of luck with all she does.  We will have a new Media Assistant soon and we are excited to welcome her.

Have a great weekend and we we will see you next week!

Be Your Best

"Whatever you choose to do in life, be your best." This is what my father taught me when I was a child. In 2009, I chose to be a media assistant at Bella Vista and my focus has always been to make the library the best it can be so others will gain a love for reading books and visiting libraries to last a lifetime.

You don't have to wait until you're grown up to be your best. You can be your best now and the possibilities are endless! You can be the best student in class, the best daughter or son at home, the best friend to others, the best citizen in your community, even the best at reading 20 minutes every night to become the best reader you can be.

Being your best can be hard sometimes but it is worth it! I promise, you will feel good about how you live your life when you do your best.

Recently, I read a picture book called The Numberlys by William Joyce. The only thing that exists in the Numberlys' colorless world are numbers.  A few of the children decide they won't settle for what already exists. They want something more than just numbers. They work hard to come up with different ideas to improve upon what is already there. They create an even more wonderful world by adding letters, words and color to life!  When you do your best you will create a more wonderful world too!



In conclusion, I want you to know "I love you to the moon and back"and you will always have a special place in my heart. Good bye.

                                                 Mrs. Allison

National Library Week - April 12-16, 2014

To celebrate National Library Week, we introduced Chris Grabenstein and his new book, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, which is an award winning chapter book and a Beehive Nominee for next year.

In Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library twelve-year-old Kyle gets to stay overnight in the new town library, designed by his hero (the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello), with other students but finds that come morning he must work with friends to solve puzzles in order to escape.Destiny Quest

Meet the Author: As a child, Chris Grabenstein would perform puppet shows with his brothers. The only people who paid to attend were his parents. In middle school and high school his teachers told him he would be a writer when he grew up. When he was older he moved to New York with six suitcases and very little money. In New York he wrote advertisements for Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, 7Up, and many more companies. He wrote for television as well. He was part of a comedic improvisational group including a young Bruce Willis. Robin Williams would sometimes drop by and enjoy doing improv with the group as well. Chris has co-authored books with James Patterson. I, Funny is one of them. The sequel, I Even Funnier, came out in December, 2013. To learn more about Chris visit his website at chrisgrabenstein.com

April is National Poetry Month

April is Poetry Month at Bella Vista! We celebrated by reading five different poems about dogs from different poetry books and the students voted on which ones they liked. Their favorite poem was "Mr. Beefy" from Once I ate a Pie. The second favorite poem was the book, Dogku. These poems were shared during story time to help me complete a district media module assignment. 

Before the book, Dogku was read to the students they were taught what a haiku is. They held their fingers up for the syllables in each line: 5,7,5 as the haikus from Dogku were read to them. Third through fifth grade students had the opportunity to write their own animal haikus in class and return them to the library when done. A teacher commented on this optional activity being very refreshing for the students to be creative, write and color. She said it was a nice fifteen minute break from testing. The haikus have been hanging up on the library windows through the month of April.

Fairytales and Fractured Fairytales

Bella Vista's Library Media Center is showcasing fairytales and fractured fairytales. A fairytale is a children's story about magical and imaginary beings and lands. A fractured fairytale is a children's story that uses common fairytales then changes the characters, setting point of view or plots. Here are some examples:

Fairytales                                                 Fractured Fairytales

Cinderella                                               The Rough Faced Girl

The Three Little Pigs                              The Dassies 

The Gingerbread Man                           The Stinky Cheese Man… 

Little Red Riding Hood                          Lon Po Po 

Jackie Robinson, A Life of Determination

"Take me out to the ball game..." Baseball season is here!  The biography of Jackie Robinson, one of the greatest baseball players to ever live, was read to the Kindergarteners and first graders this week during story time.  The students learned what it means to have determination. According to the book, determination is deciding to do something and not giving up.

Jackie Robinson, A Life of Determination 
by Colleen Sexton

 

"Jackie showed the world how determination 

can help make dreams come true."

After the story, students explained their own determination with learning how to read, play baseball, soccer, basketball, the piano or violin and more!  These students are working hard, even when it isn't easy.

Bella Vista Tigers have determination!

Announcing the Beehive Winning Books for 2014 Featuring Author Brandon Mull

2014 Beehive Book Awards Night

featuring author 
Brandon Mull

Saturday, April 19 at 7:00

Free and open to the public

5:30 p.m. Beehive Awards Dinner & Announcements

($25/members or $35/non-members)

For more information or to RSVP for dinner, visit www.clau.org

The Veridian Center

8030 S. 1825 W., West Jordan

Brandon Mull is a New York Time's Best Selling author of children's chapter books. His latest book, Sky Raiders, book one from the Five Kingdoms series, was released on March 11, 2014.  He has also penned the Fablehaven series, the Beyonders series, Candy Shop Wars series, and the Animal Spirits series. Wild Born, book one of the Animal Spirits series was released on September 10, 2013.
To see the Beehive Winners for 2014 click the link to Children's Literature Association of Utah:
clau.org

New Books are Here and Disney's Frozen Tops the Book Wish Lists!

A new book shipment is here with books spanning interest level and educational purpose for kindergarteners through fifth graders. By the end of the week of class visits when the new books were introduced, over 140 holds for new books were requested by students! Which book was placed on hold more than any other?  Disney's Frozen. There were 37 holds on this book alone and more students request this book daily. Of course we want to meet student demand for this book, so we asked teachers to consider purchasing this book for their classrooms and we purchased more copies for the library as well. Parents may want to consider purchasing this book as a reward for excellent grades at school or for a birthday gift. We now have book one in the series, Spirit Animals by Brandon Mull (author of Fablehaven, Candy Shop Wars, & Beyonders).

Other student favorites are the sports books, especially the Olympic athletes. The two most popular sports books are Usain Bolt, a biography about the life of the fastest runner on earth today and Gabby Douglas, an Olympic Champion in gymnastics. Also popular are the new Pete the Cat picture books, origami books, Katie Woo easy chapter book series, Lego Chima,  books on real life scary places, such as the Tower of London, Paris Catacombs and Alcatraz. Also popular are the I Survived chapter book series and much more!

 

  

Dr. Seuss

 

Dr Seuss

1904-1991

Hooray! This week we are celebrating Dr. Seuss's Birthday (which is on Sunday March 2). Did you know that a publisher made a bet with Dr. Seuss that he could not write a book with 50 words or less.  Well he did, "Green Eggs and Ham".   Here are some more fun facts on Dr. Seuss:
- His real name is Theodor Seuss Geisel.
- He graduated from Dartmouth College.
- He wanted to be a cartoonist.
- He ended up working in advertising for 30 years
- 1937 he published his first book "And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street".
- 1957 he published "The Cat in the Hat", his 13th book.
- 1984 he was the winner of the pulitzer prize.
- He has an Acadamy Award, 3 Emmy Awards, 3 Grammy Awards, and 3 Caldecott Honors.
- He wrote and illustrated 44 books all of which are still in print today.
- His books are in print in over 12 languages.

 We would like to thank our wonderful Principal, Mr. Prescott, for the fun Dr. Seuss pencils, erasers, bookmarks and crayons!

 Dr. Seuss characters have taken over our Meet the Author wall in our school

Truffula trees have sprouted up all over our library.

For more fun with Dr. Seuss visit this website.

www.seussville.com

Presidents Day Feb. 17, 2014

Presidents day is a wonderful time to remember those who have gone before us to make our nation great.  We remember George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Last year for Presidents day, we read books about Abraham Lincoln. So this year we focused on George Washington. 

For Grades K-2 we read the book "President George Washington" by Kathy Allen.  This Book is a summary of President's Washington's life.  His service in the  Revolutionary War, his presidency, his work on the Bill of Rights, and life after he was President.  The pictures are beautiful and it was fun to read to the students.

For Grades 3-5 we read "When Washington Crossed the Delaware" by Lynn Cheney.  It was Christmas night 1776 When Washington led his men across the Delaware for a surprise attack.  These men did not have a lot of food. Few had coats to keep them warm and shoes on their feet.  It seemed impossible that the Americans could win this war.  Under Washington's command they turned the tide of the battle and changed the course of history.  This is such a wonderful book.  It makes you really appreciate those who have fought (and who are currently fighting) for our nation and our freedom. 

Snow

January - The month of SNOW

(most years) 

January 27-31

 

The week of January 27-31, we read "The Snowy day" by Ezra Jack Keats to Grades K-2 .  This book is about the adventures of peter on a very snowy day.  We asked the children what kinds of things they like to do on a snowy day.  By the way, January is "The Snowy Day Month". 

We spotlighted Ezra Jack Keats for  our Meet the Author in grades K-2.  Keats was born in 1916.  He has illustrated over 85 book and written 22 children's classics.  He started out as an illustrator/artist then turned author.  He won a national student contest run by Scholastic Publishing Company for an oil painting  he did at Thomas Jefferson High School.  At his high school graduation he was honored with the Senior Class Medal for excellence in art. He was honored with the Caldecott Medal in 1963 for "The Snowy Day".

For more information on Ezra Jack Keats, Look for the flyer sent home with your K-2 grader.

For grades 3-5 we read Icefall by Matthew Kirby.  Princess Solveig and her siblings are trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen fjord, along with her best friend and an army of restless soldiers, all awaiting news of the king's victory in battle, but as they wait for winter's end and the all-encompassing ice to break, acts of treachery make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst.

Destiny Quest

We spotlighted Matthew Kirby for our Meet the Author for grades 3-5.  Matthew was born in Utah, but his father was in the Navy so he lived all over including:  Rhode Island, Maryland, California, and Hawaii.  He went to Utah State University and earned a M.S. and EdS degrees in School Psychology.  In high school he wrote his first comic book.  He had it photo copied at Kinkos.  His favorite foods are grape Hi Chews (candy), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and maple bars with bacon bits.

For more information on Matthew Kirby, look for the flyer sent home with your 3-5 grader.

Happy 100th Day of School

The Top 100 Picture Books

By The School Library Journal

 

  

  

  

 

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1969)

3. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (2003)

4. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (1947)

5. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962)

6. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941)

7. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (2004)

8. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz (1972)

9. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (1999)

10. The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illustrated by Mike Smollin (1971)

11. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)

12. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (1960)

13. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)

14. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)

15. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (1970)

16. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955) 17. The Story of Ferdinand

by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson (1936)

18. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (2010)

19. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)

20. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean (2010)

21. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928)

22. Corduroy by Donald Freeman (1976)

23. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989)

24. Tuesday by David Wiesner (1991)

25. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)

26. We Are in a Book by Mo Willems (2010) 27. Bread and Jam for Frances

by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)

28. Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman (1961)

29. Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall (1977)

30. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (1987)

31. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1948)

32. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942)

33. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (1971)

34. Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola (1975)

35. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith (1989)

36. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (1957)

37. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2009)

38. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle (1967)

39. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin (2000)

40. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)

41. Curious George by H.A. Rey (1941)

42. Freight Train by Donald Crews (1978)

43. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, ill. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956)

44. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)

45. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman (1960)

46. Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say (1993)

47. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)

48. George and Martha by James Marshall (1972)

49. Press Here by Herve Tullet (2011)

50. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (1984)

51. The Library by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small (1995)

52. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth (2005)

53. Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco (1998)

54. Olivia by Ian Falconer (2000)

55. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1969)

56. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1985)

57. Doctor De Soto by William Steig (1982)

58. Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (2006)

59. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (1995)

60. There Is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems (2007)

61. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (1957)

62. Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley (1992)

63. The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss (1961)

64. King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood (1985)

65. The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2006)

66. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (1991)

67. Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams (1960)

68. The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (2001)

69. Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton (1995)

70. Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas (2009)

71. S tellaluna by Janell Cannon (1993)

72. But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton (1982)

73. May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, illustrated by Beni Montresor (1964)

74. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (2011)

75. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett (1978)

76. Eloise by Kay Thompson (1955)

77. Flotsam by David Wiesner (2006)

78. Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by Eric Beddows (1993)

79. Pierre by Maurice Sendak (1962)

80. Madeline’s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans (1953)

81. Fortunately by Remy Charlip (1964)

82. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (2008)

83. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman (2002)

84. Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (2006)

85. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964)

86. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (1980)

87. My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza (2005)

88. No, David! by David Shannon (1998)

89. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent (1968)

Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller (2003)

91. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith (1992)

92. The Gardener by Sarah Steward, illustrated by David Small (1997)

93. Traction Man is Here! by Mini Grey (2005)

94. The Mitten by Jan Brett (1989)

95. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn (2007)

96. Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber (1972)

97. Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek (2004)

98. Duck On a Bike by David Shannon (2002)

99. The Maggie B by Irene Haas (1975)

100. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson (1945)