Monday, November 2, 2009

Dooby Dooby Moo

Dooby Dooby Moo Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Dooby Dooby Moo" brings the fun characters from "Click Clack Moo:Cows that Type", and puts them in a talent show. This author shows her fun sense of humor as the Farmer Brown keeps his eye on his talented farm animals, who continually outsmart him. The animals might even win a prize at the fair!

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Big Chickens

Big Chickens Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book has fun illustrations of chickens who overreact when they are afraid. Their actions lead them straight into the situations they fear the most, and without even knowing it, they somehow survive. "Big Chickens" is a fun story about being brave!

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New Books in the Library

With the book fair, we will be getting a few new books in the library! I'll be posting about the new books, so keep an eye open for them.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Book Fair!

We will have the book fair set up in the Media Center this week! That means you won't be checking books out from the library this week, but come and see the great titles you can buy! Books make a great reward for good grades! If you see a book you really like and want the library to have an extra copy of, be sure to let Mrs. Wadsworth know!

How I Learned Geography

One of the books we will read in the library in November is "How I Learned Geography" by Uri Shulevitz. I took pictures of each of the illustrations in this book and put them into a PowerPoint presentation so the students can see the illustrations on the movie screen in the media center. Ask your students about this book! It's a Beehive Nominee for 2010, and a Caldecott Honor winner in 2009.


How I Learned Geography How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In this wonderful book, Uri Shulevitz reveals how he learned Geography. In war-torn Europe, Mr. Shulevitz spent time studying, copying, and daydreaming about a wall-sized map his father bought when he didn't have enough money to feed his family. Full of colorful illustrations, this book emphasizes the power of the imagination to overcome meager circumstances. It gives a wonderful perspective for children who often take their education for granted. A must read for teachers, parents, and students alike!

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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!