It's Wednesday! What's happening in the Sommer Library?

We are reading by the fireplace this week!

All students are getting treated to holiday read-alouds this week.  Kindergarten through second grades witness the kindness of students in their neighborhood, and the ingenuity of the town baker, in Gingerbread Man: Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray.

Older students are hearing one of Ms Margocs' favorites, Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera.

Mrs. Woodul is bidding a fond farewell to our classes as the days count down to her end-of-semester retirement.  If you would like to attend her reception in our library on December 18th from 330p to 5p, please RSVP to Ms Margocs at Christine_Margocs@roundrockisd.org.

We're going to miss our wonderful library assistant! 

Remember--student accounts must be clear of overdues and fines for lost/damaged books to be able to check out books for Winter Break!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's the holiday season, and I'm in the mood for some holiday reading!  Here are two favorites from my bookshelves at home:

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry is a beautiful, classic tale of the gift of love.  This edition illustrated by P.J. Lynch is a treasure to share with middle grade and older children.  The language is conversational circa 1903 and may require some explanation of vocabulary--but don't let that get in the way of understanding the message of true Christmas spirit.

For the younger set (though enjoyable at any age), William Joyce's Santa Calls features bright, fantastic characters and a North Pole winter wonderland.

Art, his best friend Spaulding, and his little sister Esther are personally invited by Santa to travel to Toyland...but why?  Art, Spaulding, and the reader are left to wonder what Esther already knows; we get to find out at the very end, so no peeking!  As a parent, I would save this story for those pre-Christmas, no-school days when siblings just can't quite get along, then help them create Christmas cards for one another.

It's the winter holiday season!  What are your favorite books for this time of year?

It's Wednesday! What's happening in the Sommer Library?

Kindergarten classes had a visitor today!

Margaret Clauder, a.k.a. The Bookworm, displayed her powers of ventriloquism, humor, and love of books while talking about book care this morning.  The students loved her performance!

In the library, the other half of second through fifth grades are coding with LightBot Hour.  They only have about fifteen minutes for the activity, and many of our students are reaching the second level in that time--forming procedural loops to use in their programming!

First grade has checkout only this week.  Kindergarteners are discussing problem solving and making kind choices while listening to The Lumberjack's Beard by Duncan Beedie.

Our winter holiday books are on display!  We have fiction and nonfiction books about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Winter Solstice, and holiday traditions around the world, as well as nonfiction books about penguins and polar bears.

Mrs. Woodul and Ms Margocs had a great time emceeing our school's multicultural event, "Passport to Sommer".  Our PTA volunteers did a great job transforming the library into a display room for Europe and Africa!

Mrs. Woodul, our library assistant, is retiring at the end of the semester!  Her reception will be held in the library on Tuesday, December 18th from 330p to 5p.  RSVP to Ms Margocs at Christine_Margocs@roundrockisd.org if you'd like to attend.

Our Stallion Readers' Advisory and Shelf Elf clubs are meeting tomorrow, December 6th, after school--don't forget!

Very late overdue notices went out yesterday this week...but we had many, many more books that were due last week as well.  Please remember to turn in all overdue books and pay fines for lost or damaged books before the winter break if you want to check out books to read over the holiday!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's hard to believe that it's already December, and we are on our second round of books with our Fifth Grade Book Lunch Bunch reading clubs!

After our girls' group gave a unanimous "thumbs up" for Kate DiCamillo's Flora and Ulysses, we are moving on to Wendy Mass' coming of age story, Finally.

Rory has been keeping a list since she was seven years old of all the things her overprotective parents said she could do when she turned twelve.  Big things, like getting a cell phone and staying home alone, and small things, like having a key to the house and walking home from school.  The story opens the day before all her wishes can come true.  But is she really ready for the responsibilities that come with her newfound freedoms?  Losing her cell phone within fifteen minutes of buying it doesn't bode well...

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this book and finding out just how many wishes Rory fulfills, and how she grows through the process of getting them.  This is a great book for fifth graders on the cusp of brand new beginnings in sixth grade!

It's Monday, and I'm having fun reading along with my Fifth Grade Book Lunch Bunch!  What book are you sharing with others these days?