It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12/30/13

I'm joining in this meme today. Make sure you visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to read other book blogs and add more titles to your shelves! 

I love the winter break. It's when I evaluate my reading goals, pull books off of my TBR (to-be-read) stacks, and enjoy a good book without a time limit. It's probably also a good time to go through my personal library and see which titles I can pass on. I've run out of shelf space!

Here are my reading highlights for last week!


An old favorite/middle grade:

THE ENORMOUS EGG by Oliver Butterworth; illustrated by Louis Darling
Published: 1956
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Picture books:

TAP THE MAGIC TREE by Christie Matheson
Published: 2013
Published by: Greenwillow Books

TRAIN by Elisha Cooper
Published: 2013
Published by: Orchard Books

A wonderful picture book about the world of trains. (A reread for me.)


Early Reader:

PENNY AND HER MARBLE by Kevin Henkes
Published: 2013
Published by: Greenwillow Books

This one was a reread. I love this series!

Young Adult  AND a 2014 title:

WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Look for WE WERE LIARS in May 2014. I'm still thinking about this one. It's one of those books you want to immediately reread because it was so good!


Young Adult:

ABSENT by Katie Williams
Published: 2013
Published by: Chronicle Books

Series/2014 title:

I also read THE SHADOW THRONE: (THE ASCENDANCE TRILOGY #3) by Jennifer Nielsen. I loved this entire series! Look for this title in February. In the meantime, make sure to check out THE FALSE PRINCE and THE RUNAWAY KING (#1 AND #2 in the series).

What I'm reading this week:

BREAKFAST ON MARS: edited by Rebecca Stern and Brad Wolfe
Published: 2013
Published by Roaring Brook Press

BETTER OFF FRIENDS by Elizabeth Eulberg
Publication date: Feb. 25, 2014
Published by: Point (Scholastic imprint)

What have you been reading? Hope your 2014 is filled with great books!

On-the-Spot Recommendations

It was the day after Christmas and I could think of no better place to be than the bookstore. Two books I had ordered were ready for pick-up,  and I was eager to get them. As I entered the store, I ran into a teacher friend. She showed me the books she was buying and looked at the books I had in my hand. I mentioned I was going to the children's section to browse, and she said she'd like to follow. We walked over to the picture books, and I asked myself: What books should I recommend to her?

After about two seconds of thinking, these two immediately came to mind:

JOURNEY is such a stunning book.  The readers in my library have loved it, too, and I know this by the comments of praise they make when they open it. I also gave this book as a gift to several on my Christmas list! 

It is wordless and entirely beautiful.  

But when we went to look for it on the shelf, it was gone! Sold out. I was so sad about this. But very happy for the person(s) who bought it. 

Then I looked for this one, hoping I'd have better luck: 

MR. TIGER GOES WILD by Peter Brown is captivating and wonderful! The patterns and intricacies are eye-catching and I could literally stare at this books for hours! I love the story and Mr. Tiger and, once again, I am amazed at Peter Brown's ability to create such a unique and beautifully illustrated work. 

Except when I went to the shelf, it wasn't there either! I was disappointed, yet not surprised. Someone had picked it up. Someone really smart!

So I glanced at the other books on the shelf, and I tried desperately to find something else my friend should buy. (Really, I just wanted to put the previously mentioned books in her hands. Truly nothing else would suffice.) I made small talk, not finding anything else, when I just casually glanced up and saw MR. TIGER GOES WILD perched on a really high shelf! "Oh, look! There's Mr. Tiger!" I said with delight in my voice--almost as if Mr. Tiger himself was there. 

I handed the book to her and said very confidently "You will LOVE it!" She took the book from me without a question, and I could tell she was happy, too! (My friend is a great writing teacher, so I know she will probably use it as mentor text! Hurray!)

After a brief conversation, we said our goodbyes and I headed to the cash register to pay for these books: (I had read library copies, but wanted my own! )

As I took my place in line, I saw my friend waiting ahead of me. "Look what I found!" she said, and as I turned to look at her to see what she was talking about it, I joyfully saw that she had a copy of JOURNEY in her hands. "Yeah!" I said.  I was so very happy at that moment--happy that my friend would be reading these wonderful books, and then happy for her students because I knew she'd be sharing them. I realize now that books continue to bring me joy even long after I've read them for the first time. When I share them with others, the joy gets passed on, and that in itself, brings MORE joy. 

What two picture books would YOU recommend to a friend if you ran into them today? Be ready! 

A Library Kind of Holiday

Making the library an inviting place is very important to me. I want it to be a place that everyone wants to visit! A trip to our library should be a pleasant experience for all! This is my daily goal.

And thanks to Pinterest and my wonderful parent volunteers, it's a little easier to do!

When you enter the library, you will first notice a gingerbread house.

(You should know that this gingerbread house is made of cardboard!) It stands about three feet tall and rests on a table. Around the edges of the table, readers find a legend marked with cards. 

Each card matches a genre/book type with a symbol representing something one might put on a gingerbread house (peppermints, candy, cookies, etc.). These symbols are stickers. When a reader leaves the circulation desk, they tell me or my volunteers what symbol represents the book they checked out. Then readers place the sticker wherever they think it should go on the house. (I'm so thankful to my wonderful volunteer mom who made this for us! Didn't she do a FABULOUS job? ) Since we didn't decorate the library walls completely, I'm saving the house for next year, and we will add to it. It will be a new tradition!

My parent volunteer also assembled a book tree.

It's topped with the book STARS by Seymour Simon! We used old encyclopedias for this! Total: 224 books.

Check out the other holiday decorations:

These book trees were centerpieces for every table. Students were so fascinated with them! I loved having these out when our library hosted parent meetings!

We also had this wall decoration. I think it looks like a Christmas card!

And, our own library elf came to visit, too! His name is George, and he loves books! (Of course!)

I thought this tiny version of THE VERY BUSY SPIDER was a perfect book for George!

I found many paper airplanes all over the library this day!

I'm not quite sure how George managed this! ;-)

My first holiday season in the library was truly memorable! I'm sad to put everything away. I can't wait for next year!

It's on to January and snoman displays. But that is another post!

What holiday displays do you have in your library?

My First Mock Caldecott

I love reading and learning about the Caldecott and Newbery books. I started my own Caldecott and Newbery challenges in 2011,  and although it's taking me awhile to read them, I will read eventually read them all.  As a teacher for the last couple of years, I did share many of the books with my class, and last year, we even did our own Mock Caldecott unit. So now as a librarian, it is especially wonderful to share the Caldecott books in my own library.

Since this was my first Mock Caldecott as a librarian, I wanted to try something different. I read about what some of my awesome librarian friends had done, and then I decided on a format that would work for me. There are many great librarians who have done thiis, and it can be done in so many ways. The key is finding what works for you & your students. 

I wanted to have our winner chosen by the time they are announced in January, so I started this last week. (I am attending the Youth Media Awards for the third time, so I am excited about hearing the announcement in person and sharing the experience with my school!) 

I decided to do the Mock Caldecott with our 3rd and 4th graders. I see them each once a week, and I know they love picture books, too. I'd already read them THIS IS NOT MY HAT and A BALL FOR DAISY, and we took one class period to read through some of the older previous winners. (They really loved SNOW DAY!)

I'm on Goodreads, and I read picture books as soon as I can get my hands on them. So I was confident enough to come up with own shortlist of potential winners. I took into consideration the buzz I'd been hearing, as well as what I thought my students would like. Also , I knew my list couldn't be too long.  

Some of the books on our shortlist:

There were 7 others books on the list that I will reveal in a later post! ;-)

First, we reviewed the criteria for the Caldecott Award: I made sure they understood the word "distinguished".  We talked about how the illustrations needed to help tell the story.

I laid out the books on tables, and students paired up to read them together. We spent a few minutes at each book, then moved on the next. After, each student voted by ranking the books as 1, 2, or 3 with 1 being the book they thought should win. Each 3rd and 4th grade class will vote, and I will ask some 5th grade helpers to tally the votes for me. I know this system will work within the time frame I have available. 

I'll announce the votes after we return from the winter break.

I really enjoyed watching and listening as students examined the books. Their comments were genuine, heartfelt, and insightful. I thought of the authors and illustrators who wrote them, and I knew they would have loved to have been there to listen, too.

If this process works, I will keep it for next year. If not, I will be happy to adapt it! 

More Nonfiction!

I've been reading some wonderful nonfiction lately, but I think I've been reading it too quickly to write about it.

So in this post, I want to share one title I read recently:

THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDS A LIBRARY by Barb Rosenstock (illustrated by John O'Brien)
Publisher: Calkins Creek
Published: Sept. 1, 2013
Pages: 32

From the title alone, you can see why I was drawn to it. It's the telling of Thomas Jefferson's love of books, and the building of his library. We see how Jefferson started his library and through wonderful pen and ink illustrations, we are told (and shown) interesting facts that depict just how much his library meant to him. I loved reading about how he sorted his books, and about how Jefferson grew his collection. He bought many books! (Something I can relate to!)

It's a biography of Jefferson's reading life.

It made me think about my own reading biography.

I will read and reread this book.

My love of nonfiction picture books grows and grows!

What nonfiction book am I reading now?

I am grateful to the wonderful authors of children's nonfiction. They make it possible for my students (and their librarian) to learn more about the world!

"Discovering" Nonfiction

Listening to an author talk about his/her work has an enormous impact on a reader.

Case in point: Me.

Sy Montgomery at the Children's Literature Assembly Breakfast -- NCTE 2013

At  the Children's Literature Assembly breakfast at NCTE, Sy Montgomery spoke about her book THE TAPIR SCIENTIST. 

She told us interesting stories about the Pantanal and the field work scientists do with tapirs. Montgomery partners with photographer Nic Bishop (who Skyped in from New Zealand) to create award-winning nonfiction books such as KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD'S STRANGEST PARROT and THE SNAKE SCIENTIST. When you listen to her speak, you walk away knowing how passionate she is about her work: "When you are around cheetahs purring, it is like the ocean is in your heart," she said. As we listened, Bishop and Montgomery exchanged memories of their perilous adventures together. These were stories that made us gasp in amazement and admire them all the more. I appreciated what a privilege it was to be in the audience.

This one session -- all too brief--had its effect. When I returned from NCTE, I had a hunger for nonfiction picture books. (While I have, of course, read non-fiction, seeing something with 'fresh eyes' makes you more grateful for it.) I found as many as I could and started pouring through them. I "discovered" detailed books with authors notes, and sidebars, illustrations, captions, photographs, inset maps, etc. I "discovered" rich, exciting pieces of text that inspired me to learn more. I marveled at the thoroughness, and at the myriads of stories contained in one book. I spent a glorious eternity on each page, writing down questions on sticky notes, doing more research,  devouring the learning, and adding even more books to my to-be-read stacks.

After each book, I felt more connected to the world somehow. I also was very grateful that writers like Montgomery devote their time to bringing us these true stories.

My hope is that the young readers in my library will share this same excitement. I take advantage of author visits when possible, and I do love to bring authors in via Skype (most recently, Jennifer Nielsen, author of THE FALSE PRINCE). I wish I could bring in every author I read! But I will do what I can do. I can provide the books and feature them. And I  can only know the books if I've  read them. Some have told me, "You can't read every book." True, but I definitely want to try.

One Book at a Time!

At NCTE, books were everywhere. I was completely overwhelmed, but in a good way.

Titles flashed at me from booths, shelves, displays. Conference attendees and authors named book after book. Friends discussed book after book. I added to my list. My to-be-read shelves are overflowing. 

I am surrounded by books in my library. Every day I hear about a new book I want to read. 

How can I ever manage to read them all? More importantly,  how can I ever manage to share them all with readers? 

I asked myself these questions and looked at my stacks. And then overwhelmed once again, I just picked one. 

And that is how it must be. We start with one.  It starts with one book, and even if we don't love everything in that book, the experience leads us to another. And another. 

And that, in turn, gives us the confidence and energy to share it. We have that familiarity that emboldens us to share it  with younger readers who look to us for help in choosing. Indeed, imagine! If these endless stacks of books are overwhelming to us, how overwhelming they must be for our younger readers! 

The act of reading helps us guide readers. They count on us. They count on me. 

What ONE book will you choose today?

It's Monday! What are you reading? 12/2/13

During my Thanksgiving vacation, I had some time to read, write, and think. It was really good to have a day open with stacks of books ready for me. I had some trouble deciding what to read at first because I had so many choices, but I think I reached for what I needed. Sometimes I think the books find us as readers, don't you?

I read several books, but the books I want to share with you are:

ELECTRIC BEN by Robert Byrd
DIAL (PENGUIN) 2013

This is a picture book about Benjamin Franklin that is filled with information presented in a very lively way. If you haven't read some good children's nonfiction lately, take a look at this one and you'll get a taste of the great stuff that's being published today.

SERAFINA'S PROMISE by Ann E. Burg
SCHOLASTIC 2013

This is a beautifully written novel in verse. I was captivated by it completely. It reminded me of INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN and HOME OF THE BRAVE. I highly recommend it, and it will stay with me forever. In fact, I know it deserves a reread.

ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia
HARPER COLLINS 2010

I should have read this one a long time ago. I guess you could call it one of my "book gaps". It's historical fiction set in the late 60s, and when you read it, you'll understand why it has four stickers on the cover. I loved the sisters and especially Delphine (main character)--who told us her story so well.

I connected with each character in these books in different ways. As a reader, I found something in each that I could take with me or make me better. Each also left me in awe of the talent of authors today. I am grateful to them for working so hard to bring great stories to us.

As readers, we find what we need in books. That's why we keep reaching for them.

What are you reading this week?

Thankful for Books! Of Course!

I am thankful for books.

That is no surprise to anyone who has met me. And after being at a wonderful conference at NCTE with my Twitter PLN, I can assume safely that they would say the same.

Books lead to experiences. Books lead to questions. Books take you to the thing you need. They show you the thing you'd never heard of. They lead you to the right person. They take you to the right places. They lead you to joy and hope (while also taking you through sorrow and despair). They help you know yourself and others. But they also make you wonder.

I'm thankful for all that books have brought to my life. They have led me to wonderful, glorious things. 

I've read some special ones this week:

  

With every turn of the page, my gratitude grows--as does my desire that all of the young readers in our charge would know this gratitude as well.

I'll keep reading, and I'll keep being grateful.

NCTE Takeaways

Before I attend a conference, I always map out a plan. I have some "I want to's" mixed with some "I must's). Having been to NCTE last year, I had some ideas of what I wanted to accomplish my second time around. And since I was going to present at my first national conference here, I knew this would be part of my learning. (Presenting at my first national conference was something I never thought I'd do. And now it's done!)

But now that the  conference is over, and the books and clothes have been unpacked, I know that I sought for--and got--exactly what I needed. Here were my takeaways: 

First, I reaffirmed my commitment to writing instruction. Yes, learners will write in the library, and I am not done with writing conferences just because my classroom is bigger. Can a librarian do that? Have I done this? Yes to both. I love working with learners as they write because they always inspire me.  I love working with another writer (no matter how old) to make a piece better. It's a privilege and a gift when children share their writing with us. 

Second, any teacher who promotes reading/writing MUST read/write himself/herself. (I've said this before.) When WE read and write, we are better equipped to help our learners because we've been there! I wrote during this conference, and I shared my writing.  I'd almost forgotten how rewarding it is to see words I've written on a page, and then to consider them for revision. My pink notebook and I also did some analyzing and close reading.  I love great books and studying why they are so great. What did the writer do to create the effects I remember? How did the illustrator add to the story? Read, read, read I must! Write, write, write I must! Both challenging and exciting at the same time!

Third, I am resolved to read even more children's books than before. I sat at several book events and talked with authors, teachers, writers, publishers, and editors. The conversations were rich and filled with critical thinking, and I walked away with new book friends and many, many book titles. I love knowing about books and figuring out recommendations for others.

And lastly, it was such a treat to see my PLN in real life. I love learning with them and from them. There are too many to name here. I'd inadvertently leave someone out and I wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. (They include teachers, authors, editors, professors, librarians, and other educators who all share my passion for literacy.)  They were kind to me throughout the conference, looking for me to chat and connect, and even in the briefest of moments, we learned from one another.  I can't wait to see them again.

Here's an Animoto I made about my time at NCTE:






See you all in TwitterVerse.

What I'm reading now:

SERAFINA'S PROMISE by Ann E. Burg (Scholastic, 2013)

Another Picture Book Month Gem!

Sometimes sharing a book with someone helps you see it in a whole new way.

I read THE DARK to 3rd and 4th graders today. As I read it aloud, and saw their reactions (wide-eyed, expectant, hanging on my every word), I began to get a sense for its effect on readers. Laszlo had their complete attention. And so did The Dark.

Some pages brought hushed silence, while others made them wonder aloud with exclamations. They also noted the intricacies of the illustrations: the angles, the choice of text color, the shining of the flashlight. Each group brought up points and questions I hadn't considered. After, I collected thoughts and questions on sticky notes. One student asked: "Where are his parents?" Another said: "I'm not afraid of the dark".

Each class asked a different set of original questions -- and this -- once again--proved to me the awesomeness of picture books: each of us brings something different to the experience, and then it becomes something different altogether.

I see this book in a new way now. I see it through the eyes of young readers -- with wonder and energy.

Here's the trailer for THE DARK by Lemony Snicket (illustrated by Jon Klassen).



What do you think of this book? Have you shared it with students?

Penguin & Picture Book Month

I'm always excited about new books in the library! I will share two of them with you here:

The Penguin books are lovely. The illustrations are bright and simple, and the text is great for reading aloud. After you read a Penguin book, you just feel so happy! How could you not love a penguin who is so caring?




Penguin is part of my first day of Picture Book Month in the library. For the entire month of November, teachers, librarians, authors, and other readers will be sharing picture books. Everyone can learn from a really good picture book, and there are so many great titles being published today. They teach lessons, they make us laugh, they show us how to write, and they bring joy to readers of all ages. I have purchased so many picture books for my own personal library, and my collection grows with each month. I cannot resist!

In our school library, I love to read picture books to our classes. A really wonderful book elicits genius comments, interesting questions, and overall great thinking. I wish I could remember all of the great things our young readers say as I read a picture book aloud. It makes so happy for the great reading life they have ahead of them.

What do you love about picture books?

#GeniusHour in the Library

During Genius Hour, a librarian has to be ready for anything.

In case you haven't heard about Genius Hour, it's a time set aside where learners pursue their own topics and interests. (Chris Kesler and Joy Kirr provide great resources for anyone interested in learning more.)

Our students participate in Genius Hour once a week. During this time, students come into the library throughout the hour to meet their learning needs. (They come in groups or individually, and each will need something a little bit different.)

Some will need resources: Example: "Where are the books about origami?"

Some will need help with tech tools. Example: "How do I make a QR Code?"

Some just want to sit and read, while others need the space to make something. Groups also come in to meet and make decisions about their projects.

Whatever the needs, I must be ready to manage different requests simultaneously. When learners are using the online card catalog, I give mini-lessons to help them navigate. When they get stuck in research, I serve as a sounding board and help them formulate questions. When they are reading and don't quite understand a paragraph, I'm a reading teacher scaffolding with a quick one-on-one conference. (Something I'm very comfortable doing!)

And other times, I'm the subject of an interview (I've been interviewed several times by learners) or training a young apprentice who wants to be a librarian. (This happened yesterday!) I've also been a consultant on everything from best presentation tools to color choices for designs.

Though this hour is busy and unpredictable, it's also exciting. I'm getting to know our students by learning about their interests, and it allows me to see their learning needs, too. The best part is that the library serves to its potential all at once to all grade levels. 
 

Genius Hour gives me the opportunity to see our students doing what they love! Also, it shows our students that the library can help them in ways they might not have imagined.

I'm still learning about #GeniusHour and its possibilities, but that's what makes it so wonderful!

Are you implementing #GeniusHour at your school?
 

Monsters and Carrots in the Library!

What a busy week in the library! Looking back helps me appreciate the awesomeness and set more goals for the future!

• This week, I read CREEPY CARROTS to first grade, and then we designed our own "creepy" carrots. I also used it to discuss the difference between TRUE and FANTASY.
• I read THE MONSTERS' MONSTER by Patrick McDonnell to kindergarten, and we used it to discuss characters' actions in a story. (This monster says "thank you" and shares jelly doughnuts with friends!)

• I taught commenting skills to 3rd graders. They use Kidblogs and I love reading their posts. Now, I'm commenting on the blogs, too!
• Our 4th and 5th graders wrote Readers' Responses in Edmodo using their iPads, and now all have more book recommendations from their classmates.
• Two of our 4th grade classes Skyped with other 4th graders in Maine. Both groups had read RULES by Cynthia Lord.

Students talked about their favorite parts in the book and how many awards this book had won! (Newbery Honor 2007, Schneider Family Book Award, 2007 are just 2 of the awards this book has earned.)

• I connected one of our 5th grade classes with another class from Connecticut. They compared their "fall" weather.

Of course, our students checked out many books, and our wonderful parent volunteers were such a HUGE help as always!

Do you reflect on your week? How does it help you set goals for the future in your own classroom or library?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 10/28/13

When I blog on Mondays, most likely I will be using this wonderful meme started by Sheila over at Book Journeys. My friend Jen at Teach Mentor Texts continues this meme and gathers other posts from librarians, teachers, and other readers everywhere. Make sure you visit her blog to see the rest of these posts!

Despite how busy the week has been, I've been reading because reading truly brings me happiness--as simple as that sounds.

Here is what I read last week:

THE CANDY CORN CONTEST by Patricia Reilly Giff
Published by: Yearling
Published: 1987

REGGIE by Eve Bunting
Published by: Cricket Books
Published: Aug. 18, 2006

 

 

LOCOMOTIVE by Brian Floca
Published by: Athenium/Richard Jackson Books
Published: Sept. 3, 2013

I also read READING IN THE WILD by my Donalyn Miller (with Susan Kelley).
If you've read my blog, you know how much I loved Donalyn's first book: THE BOOK WHISPERER. (Over the years, I've bought many copies and shared them.) Her second is just as great, and you can find it by clicking here.

What I'm currently reading:

 

ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth
Published: Oct. 22, 2013
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books

I'm probably the last person to read Allegiant. But I AM reading it, and it will be my treat every night this week!

What are YOU reading?

Current (and Potential) Library Projects

Sometimes when I talk about my library, I just can't stop. There are so many great things I want to do, and so many things I'm thinking about. These thoughts get translated into projects sometimes, while others remain on my to-do list.

Here are the questions/projects I'm currently thinking about for my library:

1.) Gamification: I went to a great session at #edcampdallas where  @ZachSnow talked about using gaming in the classroom. This session was very interesting to me, especially since I'd read REALITY IS BROKEN by Jane McGonigal last spring, and watched her TED Talk. I know learners love games, and I know they are using them in their classroom. How can I incorporate this into the library in a fun AND meaningful way? My friends and fellow librarians Nancy Jo Lambert and Tina Berumen and I are working on this one.

2.) Inquiry-based learning: How can I extend this into the library? I see many students every day, and they are always asking great questions. I want to create learning experiences for my students that will promote thinking and questions and strengthen their problem-solving. So I'm going to start working on library centers that I've seen other librarians use. I know I can create little pockets of learning everywhere!

3.) Making the library an inviting place: With the arrival of fall, I've decorated the library a bit. I want all who enter the library to smile and feel happy when they visit. I found little Pinterest project ideas, and my wonderful parent volunteers turned them into reality!

FLY GUY is just one of the book character pumpkins I have on display.

 

4.) The Newbery Award: Which book will win the award in Philadelphia this January? I am thinking a lot about this now, and hurrying to read some titles I've heard mentioned in the same sentence as Newbery. Reminder: I absolutely loved COUNTING BY 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. I have already been talking about award-winning books with my classes.

5.) What I'm currently reading:

Speaking of book awards, THE THING ABOUT LUCK is one of the #NBAAward (National Book Award) finalists.

Also, I saw these shoes today:

I did not buy this shoes. However, don't they look like the cute ones on my blog badge?

I'm sticking to my flats, though!