All posts by tpretz

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

NEW Poetry Books and More

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NEW Poetry Resource List

Online Resources:

Children’s Poetry Archive – You can choose a theme from the list in the left sidebar to find poems on a topic, or use the search box to find a favorite poet.

Giggle Poetry – Website of poet Bruce Lansky.

Poetry Aloud  – Kristine O’Connell George’s website.  Includes audio clips of some of her poems. Audio recordings available.

Shel’s Books – I absolutely love this site! Whenever I have shared this with students they have loved it too.  Includes animated poems and audio with  Shel Silverstein’s reading some of his most famous poems.

NEW Wordless Picture Books

Some incredible wordless picture books have been published this year. These books can be used to support literacy in a variety of ways.

Supporting Emergent & Beginning Readers

While “reading” and retelling what happened in a wordless picture book, children practice identifying story line, evaluating a character’s actions, oral expression and improving vocabulary.

Develop Story Lines

Wordless picture books or “Stories without Words” can be used to help children who struggle with story ideas and topics for writing.  Children can be encouraged to create story lines orally and in writing.  Writing techniques that students can easily practice include:  dialogue, setting development, character descriptions, sequencing of events, and story development.

Here are a few of my NEW favorites:

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2015 Sakura Book Bowl Champions

Congratulations to all 2015 Sakura Book Bowl participants! Competition was stiff this year and after four months of reading Sakura Medal Books, a quiz, preliminary and final rounds, we finally have a champion for each track.  In both the preliminary and final rounds there were a few sudden death rounds and in the end it came down to some serious nail biting and one question.

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Gr. 3-5 Visiting Author- Kate Klise

Kate KliseOn Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Kate Klise will visit the ASIJ ES Library .  Kate is an award-winning author who has received several nationally recognized awards.  Her most recent series, Three-Ring Rascals was selected as a Junior Library Guild recipient.  Her book, The Show Must Go On (#1 Three Ring Rascals) has been short listed as a 2015 Sakura Medal Picture Book.

An exciting tradition that always accompanies an author’s visit is a book signing by the author.  Signed books make great souvenirs for your child.  I am writing now to provide you with the opportunity to order books written by Kate Klise.  Kate will sign purchased books during her visit.

If you are interested in ordering a copy of one of Kate’s books for your child in Grades 3-5, please send the amount due in a sealed envelope and please indicate which book(s) you are ordering.  Clearly mark the envelope “Library Book Order”, child’s name and class and have your child deliver the envelope to the ES Library by Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

the show must go on  Grounded Kate Klise  Dying to Meet You #1 Kate Klise

Each paperback is 1,000  yen. 

Grade 5 – Buddy Books #2

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Historical Fiction – Set in 12th century Korea

“If a man is keeping an idea to himself, and that idea is taken by stealth or trickery-I say it is stealing. But once a man has revealed his idea to others, it is no longer his alone. It belongs to the world.”

Tree-ear, a Korean orphan, lives beneath a bridge with his crippled, old friend, Crane-man. When Tree-ear breaks an expensive piece of pottery created by an artist named Min, he works off his debt and becomes Min’s assistant. Though Tree-ear dreams of making his own pots, Min uses him only for menial tasks. When a royal buyer wants to see Min’s work, Tree-ear offers to make the treacherous journey to the palace with the vases.

Joey Pigza swallowed the key

Realistic Fiction 

“They say I’m wired bad, or wired sad, but there’s no doubt about it – I’m wired.”

Joey Pigza’s got heart, he’s got a mom who loves him, and he’s got “dud meds,” which is what he calls the Ritalin pills that are supposed to even out his wild mood swings. Sometimes Joey makes bad choices. He learns the hard way that he shouldn’t stick his finger in the pencil sharpener, or swallow his house key, or run with scissors.  Joey knows, if he keeps making bad choices, he could just fall between the cracks for good. But he is determined not to let that happen.

Million Dollar Kick

Setting:  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1998

“If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

The main character in The Million Dollar Kick is a thirteen year-old girl named Whisper Nelson. She is an 8th grade girl who doesn’t like sports; in fact she hates them.  While getting doughnuts Briana, her younger sister,  happens to enter them into a contest that gives the winner a chance to win a million by kicking against Carmen Applegate, one of the best professional soccer goalies around. Surprisingly, Whisper wins! Whisper’s journey to become a better soccer player is also inspiring. It’s not easy for her to do, but it helps her with much more than just her soccer playing.

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Setting:  Leamington, Ontario

A humorous, quick read!

Keegan and Alex are the only kids in Leamington who haven’t volunteered to help out with the town’s annual tomato festival. In an attempt to teach them a sense of responsibility, their fathers put them in charge of the tomato toss.  The boys decide it’s their responsibility to add a little excitement to the event.  They exchange the traditional wooden targets for human targets and, before they know it, they are running the most popular event at the fair.  The excitement may be too much for the sleepy town and soon the tomato toss is taken to the street.

Grade 5 – Buddy Books #1

If you like friendship stories…READ Every Soul a Star 

Every_Soul_a_Star_book_cover

 Setting:  Moon Shadow Campground

In alternating chapters, Ali, Bree and Jack tell their stories.

Ally:
Ally likes the simple things in life-labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting.

Bree:
Popular, gorgeous (everybody says so), a future homecoming queen for sure.

Jack:
Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined.

If you like fast-moving plots…READ A Small White Scar 

small_scar_img_catcopy (1)

Setting:  Colorado – 1940’s

Since his mother’s death, Will’s job has been to look after his twin brother, Denny, who has Down syndrome.  The story picks up speed when Will sets out to ride to La Junta to compete in a rodeo.  He leaves hoping to break away from the responsibility of looking after Denny, but when he leaves, Denny follows.

Part family tale, part adventure, part journey narrative, this coming-of-age story has an emotional core that will touch even readers who never dreamed of competing in a rodeo.

If you like a page turner with lots of plot twists….READ Skullduggery Pleasant

skullduggery

Twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle’s estate,  and must join forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton mage (magician), to save the world from the Faceless Ones.

Stephanie and Skulduggery Pleasant must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.

The end of the world?

Over their dead bodies…

If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but want something a little different….READ The Last Invisible Boy

the last invisible boy

Told in short journal chapters and marvelous drawings…this is the story of 12-year-old Finn and his life-changing summer.1.  It’s about an invisible boy.

I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll tell you what you could probably guess from looking at the cover and flipping through the book.

1. It’s about an invisible boy.

2. There are a bunch of drawings.

3. There are some really funny, really happy moments.  (Just so you know, there are also some sad moments too.)

Sakura Medal Book Bowlers

sakura medalIMPORTANT DATES

Study Guide Due – no later than February 13th

Quiz Taken – no later than February 18th

Preliminary Rounds – Week of February 23rd

ASIJ Book Bowl Finals – Week of March 1st

Recently, the Sakura Book Bowl date was changed to the end of April by the Librarians’ of Japan.  I felt that it would be hard to sustain student interest and motivation for an additional two months. After speaking with Mr. Bender, we decided that it was in the best interest of our students to hold our own ASIJ Book Bowl and have three divisional winners i.e. Cruising, Flying and Warp.

Grade 5 – NEW Books – Something for Everyone!

the lost kingdomThe Lost King by Matthew Kirby

This isn’t just your ordinary, everyday fantasy. This “steampunk” novel brings to life a fantastical American West filled with a secret society, spies, terrifying creatures and a flying airship. The Lost Kingdom  is an epic journey filled with marvelous exploits, courage and intrigue.

The Children of the KingThe Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett

During World War II, 12-year-old Cecily Lockwood and her 14-year-old brother, Jeremy, are evacuated from London to Uncle Peregrine’s country home.  While exploring the estate grounds, Cecily and her new friend May find two mysterious boys hiding in the ruins of a nearby castle, an extraordinary adventure begins.

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Bird  by Crystal Chan

Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Her parents blame Grandpa for the tragedy of their family’s past; they say that Grandpa attracted a malevolent spirit—a duppy—into their home.

Loot how to steal a fortuneLoot:  How to Steal A Fortune by Jude Watson

When Alfie McQuinn, the notorious jewel thief, is killed on a job, his last words to his son, March, are to “find jewels”.  This instruction leads the boy to Jules, the twin sister he never knew he had–and the perfect partner to carry on the family business

Skies Like These

Skies Like These by Tess Hilmo

Twelve-year-old Jade’s perfect summers have always been spent reading and watching TV reruns, so she’s not happy when her parents send her off to Wyoming to her aunt’s house. She meets a boy who calls himself Roy Parker.

Handbook for Dragon SlayersHandbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell

A fantasy adventure Handbook for Dragon Slayers mixes magic, mythical creatures, thrilling action, and a wonderful cast of characters.  Princess Tilda flees her kingdom in the company of two hopeful dragon slayers. The princess never had any interest in chasing dragons.  But the princess finds herself making friends with magical horses, facing the Wild Hunt, and pointing a sword at fire-breathing dragons. While doing things she never imagined, Tilda finds qualities in herself she never knew she possessed.

Lost children on the far islandsLost Children of the Far Islands by Emily Raabe

Lost Children of the Far Islands is a story filled with magic, excitement, and the dangers and delights of the sea.  wins Gus and Leo and their little sister, Ila, live a quiet life in Maine–until their mother falls ill, and it becomes clear her strength is fading because she is protecting them from a terrible evil.  Soon the children are swept off to a secret island far in the sea, where they discover a hidden grandmother and powers they never knew they had. Like their mother, they are Folk, creatures who can turn between human and animal forms.  Now they must harness their newfound magic for a deeper purpose. The ancient, monstrous King of the Black Lakes will stop at nothing to rise to power, and they are all that stands in his way. Their mother’s life hangs in the balance, and the children must battle this beast to the death–despite a dire prophecy that whoever kills him will die.

The Secret BoxThe Secret Box by Whitaker Ringwald

Readers will love the page-turning mystery, hilarious girl and boy narrators, and clever incorporation of mythology—and lingering questions will leave them eager for more.  What starts as a fun quest to open a mysterious birthday present quickly turns crazy and dangerous when Jax and her cousin Ethan discover themselves at the center of a special magical legacy. Soon they realize the secret box was not intended as a gift, but as call for help that they alone can answer.

Unhooking the moonUnhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes

Marie Claire, aka the Rat, is a dancing, soccer-playing, fearless ten-year-old, often protected by her brother Bob. When their father dies, the two leave home in Winnipeg, Canada and head for New York, determined to find their uncle in America and discover a new life for themselves.  On their adventures traveling alone from the flatlands of Winnipeg, southward across the border into America, Bob and the Rat make friends with a host of unlikely characters, including a hilarious con man and a famous rap star. As they struggle to survive in the big city, they realize that finding your uncle in New York is incredibly difficult if you have almost no information about him–even if he is rumored to be one of the city’s biggest drug dealers.

lantern sam and the blue streakLantern Sam and the Blue Streak Bandits by Michael D. Beil

Lantern Sam is the wise-cracking, sarcastic, talking cat (for those who can hear him, that is) who lives onboard the Lake Erie Shoreliner train and is one of the best detectives no one knows about. He doesn’t have much patience for humans (unless they bring him sardines), but when 10-year-old traveler Henry can’t find his new friend, the exuberant Ellie, Sam’s enlisted to help. A ransom note is soon discovered and just like that, Sam and Henry are on the case, with the help of Clarence the Conductor (who supplies Sam’s sardines). But is Ellie still on board the train? Did the salesman with his trunk full of samples sneak her off? And why does that couple keep acting so suspicious?

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates by Caroline Carlson

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, and she already owns a rather pointy sword. There’s only one problem: the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges andscalawag. But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn’t exist, and the most treacherousand unexpectedvillain on the high seas.

Seven Wild Sisters

Seven Wild Sisters by Charles DeLint

Sarah Jane has always wanted to meet a fairy, but she has no idea that the tiny wounded man she discovers in the Tanglewood Forest is about to ensnare her in a longtime war between rival magical clans. When her six sisters are kidnapped and split up by the opposing sides, she’ll need the help of several friends–from the reclusive Aunt Lillian to the mysterious Apple Tree Man–to bring them home. But if they don’t untangle themselves from the feud quickly, they could all be trapped in the fairy world forever.

seven stories up

Seven Stories Up by Laurel Snyder

In 1987, while her mother sits in a Baltimore hotel at the deathbed of a grandmother twelve-year-old Annie never knew, Annie travels back fifty years and shares adventures with the lonely girl who will grow up to be her feisty grandmother.

First Graders Will Decide!

Using their knowledge of what makes a picture book a great book, students in grade one will vote for the best picture book of 2014 in December. Everyone has a favorite so far, but we have four more books to go.  Which book will win the Mustang Award for Best Picture Book of the Year?

Sparky

A story about a girl who longs for a pet.  The girl in the story meets all of her mom’s criteria for a perfect pet when she decides on a sloth…they don’t need baths, they don’t eat a lot of food and they don’t need to be walked.

Henry's HandA story about what it means to be a good friend.  Hand runs away when Henry becomes too bossy.

BeekleBeekle acts courageously and leaves the land of imagination in search of a friend.

chick-o-saurus-rex-234x300Nobody likes to be bullied.  Little chick is taunted and teased, until one day he proves that he is mighty and brave.