All posts by tpretz

I am the elementary librarian at The American School in Japan.

Spotlight On Sakura

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

If you only have time to read one Sakura Book this year, The Honest Truth, is a must read!

the honest truth.two

Accompanied by his faithful dog, Mark runs away from home, leaving behind his parents and  best friend Jessie, to  fulfill his dream of climbing Mount Rainer. This is a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your chair and your reading light on until the wee hours of the morning.

Author, Dan Gemeinhart asks, “What are the toughest decisions you have made in your life? If you were like Mark,could you have made the decision to get on the train and leave everything behind?”

More books like The Honest Truth:  

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Visiting Author – Naomi Shihab Nye

Naomi Shihab NyeThe week of January 25-29, ASIJ has the honor of hosting the internationally recognized and award-winning poet, Naomi Shihab Nye.   Our fifth graders will have the opportunity to work with Ms. Nye in both large and small groups throughout the week of her visit.

In 2009, Ms. Nye was named as one of PeaceByPeace.com’s first peace heroes.  Additionally, she has has won many awards and fellowships, among them four Pushcart Prizes, the Jane Addams Children’s Book award, the Paterson Poetry Prize and in 2013 the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature.

In addition to having works at the adult and young adult levels, she also has several works appropriate for our upper elementary students.  The following books, written by Ms. Nye, are available in the ASIJ elementary library.

Turtle-of-Oman-by-Naomi-Shihab-Nye-on-BookDragon Famous-web A Maze Me honeybee

“We’re all poets when we’re little and some of us just keep up the habit!”  William Stafford