It's Monday! What are you reading?

Our fifth grade Book Lunch Bunch groups will have all met twice after today! I enjoy both types of groups--the two that discuss personal reading, because they give me insight as to what's popular in that grade level (hint: Harry Potter is still a strong contender); and the two that do group books, because they often stretch me as a reader.

Group Four's last book pick was Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald and Anne MacDonald Canham, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is part Mary Poppins, part child psychologist as she helps parents navigate the more common problems of childhood--picky eating, bullying, disorganization.  Children whining for more television time?  Saturation will do the trick--let them binge-watch t.v. until they realize how much sleep and fun with friends they are missing.  Disorganization an issue?  Paint the furniture with magic paint that makes your drawers spit back clothes that aren't put away correctly.  (I imagined myself in that last scenario, and felt a bit guilty when considering the state of my own desk these days!)

The Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series was originally written by Betty MacDonald.  Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was published posthumously by her daughter, after finding the manuscript among her mother's belongings.

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On a personal note, I am enjoying Home for Christmas: Stories for Young and Old, compiled by the editors of Plough publishing.

This is not your usual collection of holiday stories, with passages by Pearl S. Buck, Henry Dyke, Madeleine L'Engle and others.  There are twenty short stories, meant to be read one each night during December.  I've been reading them at bedtime, though I've often wished that our lives were not so harried this season that I could read them aloud with my husband and son.  Each story leaves me pondering the lessons of love, kindness, giving, and forgiving that the celebrations of winter stir in our hearts.

It's Monday!  What books are on your nightstand this winter?

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

Fourth grade had a great time on Monday visiting with Steve Swinburne, author (and ukulele musician!).  Mr. Swinburne has written several nonfiction and fiction books for children.  He talked about the importance of hooking readers with great opening lines, and then helped the fourth graders craft some great leading sentences of their own.

In the Book Nook, we are continuing to explore our theme of kindness by reading Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Tanya Simon and Richard Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel.

Oskar arrives in America on the seventh day of Hanukkah in 1938.  He is alone, and needs to find his aunt before sunset--but she lives one hundred blocks up Broadway Avenue.  We are enjoying considering and counting the acts of kindness he receives as he makes his way towards his new home.

More of our upper grade students are taking their turn at making appreciative notes for their teachers using PicCollage on our iPads.  We've had to move our lessons to the Book Nook, as our learning area has been converted to technology central--our teachers are getting new computers!

Need information about Science Fair?  Stop by the library tomorrow from 530p-630p to see examples of previous science fair project boards, and check out books with science experiments to try on your own.  Can't make it?  We will keep the books in a special section through January; students may check them out in addition to their usual two-or-three books for personal reading.

All overdue books must be returned, and fines paid for lost/ damaged books, by next week in order for students to check out books for the winter break.  Settle your accounts so you can find something great to read in the warm indoors during this chilly season!

Library volunteers, you should have received an email with your invitation to our Library Volunteer Appreciation Reception!  If you haven't, please contact the library for more information:  https://sites.google.com/a/roundrockisd.org/sommer-library/contact-us/contact-library-staff

Stay warm this weekend, and cuddle up with a great book!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

'Tis the season for new holiday books!  I ordered some copies of Walk This World at Christmastime, by Debbie Powell.

I was first drawn to the multicultural theme of Powell's book.  My campus has a diverse population, and I'm always on the lookout for books that feature different cultures.  

The large, heavy-duty pages feature several countries in each two-page spread, with hidden flaps to lift and learn details from each country's Christmas traditions.  There are also numbered flaps from one to twenty-five scattered throughout the book which can be used as an Advent calendar, prompting a re-reading of the story.  The text is concise, allowing the reader to focus on the pictures.  The illustrations are mirrored on the cover--bright, graphic, with lots of details to peruse and discuss.  By the end of the book, the reader has "walked" the entire globe. 

I'm adding a copy to my home and school libraries; I think the flaps are sturdy enough to last through a few dozen check-outs.  

It's Monday--what holiday books are you reading?

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

We hope everyone had a relaxing and rejuvenating Thanksgiving Break!  We are back to regular library visits with our students here at Sommer.

Mrs. Baker's class had the highest donations to Coins for Coats in our second grade, so they came in for some fun flashlight reading time this week:

The upper grades are using apps such as PicCollage, Chatterpix, and Screen Chomp on our Next Gen iPads to create greetings for their teachers.  They are logging into their Google accounts, uploading and sharing their creations, and learning to log off of these "public" devices.

The kindergarteners are giggling over Polar Bear's Underwear, a Texas 2x2 selection, in the Book Nook:

The second graders are finally getting their turn with Last Stop on Market Street, a book from our Armadillo Readers' Choice list:

Our new book menu is ready for the first day of December tomorrow!

Next Monday, we will be hosting Stephen Swinburne in our library!  He will be conducting a writing workshop with all of our fourth grade classes.  Fourth graders, get your author book orders in this week!

Library volunteers, be on the lookout for an invitation to our annual Library Volunteers Reception, to be held in the library on Thursday, December 15th.  We hope to see you there!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!  I took the time to get some reading done, and shopped for book gifts on Black Friday.

I have four fifth grade lunchtime book club groups that meet once a month in the library.  Two of the groups discuss books they have personally chosen to read, and the other two groups read books together.

I just met with one of the latter groups to discuss their first choices of the school year. 

 Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy is the first in the Skulduggery Pleasant series--and a pleasant surprise when I read it!  The books are somewhat popular in my library, but I had never cracked one open until this book club.  What I thought would be a kidlit horror book ended up being so much more--mystery, lots of magic, and a classic good versus evil conflict with an independent, feisty twelve-year-old female protagonist--and a centuries-old walking skeleton detective.  I'll be promoting this series more in my library!

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde starts off by poking holes in the traditional fairy tale, and then offers six variations on the story.

More than just fractured fairy tales, these renditions are smart twists of character and plot.  What if Rumpelstiltskin wants to eat the baby?  What if the king really didn't want the (annoying) miller's daughter to spin gold straw?  The readers in my book club thoroughly enjoyed the short story retellings of this classic.

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I love perusing the catalog of Bas Bleu, and can't wait to get these in the mail:

I'm adding Walk This World at Christmastime to my home AND school libraries...and adding it to the gift basket of a dear friend as well!

It's Monday!  What are you reading these days?

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

Last Friday, our school held an assembly to honor our community's veterans for Veterans Day.  A well-attended reception was held in the library after the assembly.

Mrs. Stroh's class earned flashlight time in the library for having the highest kindergarten donations to our Coins for Coats fundraiser.  They had a lot of fun reading in the dark!

The fourth graders have been exploring the lives of Wampanoag Native Americans and pilgrim settlers at www.plimoth.org to learn more about our first Thanksgiving.  

We've been reading Eve Bunting's A Turkey for Thanksgiving in the Book Nook, and playing Thanksgiving Mad Libs in the learning area.

We are grateful for books and learning and fun in our library!  What will you be grateful for this Thanksgiving?

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's the last week of school before our Thanksgiving holiday break!  Holiday books are among my favorite, and they occupy two full shelves in my home library.  Here are a few from my Thanksgiving collection:

Let's Look at the Seasons:  Autumn Days by Ann Schweninger is out of print, but a great book to find. It's full of short nonfiction essays--one to two page spreads--and crafts for fall.  Animal behavior, farm harvests, processing food, changes in trees (roots to leaves!), and the tilt of the earth are discussed.  Crafts include making a leaf wreath and carving a pumpkin, and there's a cute depiction of a Thanksgiving school play.  The characters are friendly, fun-loving animals.

Thanksgiving Treat by Catherine Stock was a favorite of my children when they were little.  A quiet book, told from the perspective of the youngest member of a family gathering at their grandparents' house for the feast, portrays the frustration of child who can't find their place among the busyness of preparation--until Grandfather steps in with an important task.  

Feeling Thankful, by Shelly Rotner and Sheila Kelly, Ed.D. was published in 2000, and features wonderfully diverse photos of children by Rotner.  It's a simple book--one or two lines per two-page spread--that gives children an idea of what gratitude means.  Material things are just a small part of the list.

Robert Maass' seasons series are among my favorite photographic children's books, so I'll close with his fall offering--When Autumn Comes.

It's Monday!  What are you reading to celebrate the upcoming holiday?