Category Archives: Uncategorized

Read of the Day

Mr. Lemoncello's LibraryEscape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library won the 2015 Sakura Medal for Best Chapter Book.  This award-winner reminded me of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but set in a library not a chocolate factory.  Chris Grabenstein’s latest book, The Island of Dr. Libris, reminded me of Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke.  Instead of characters being read into stories, stories come to life on Dr. Libris’ Island.  Imagine coming face-to-face with Zeus, Hercules, Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Tom Sawyer, Jack and the Giant, The Three Muskateers and more.  This is one romping, action-packed adventure that I could see coming to the big screen in the near future.

island-dr-libris-200

Coming January 2016…another adventure with Mr. Lemoncello.

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics

Read of the Day

Echo

I adored this book, in fact, I have adored everything I have ever read by Pam Munoz Ryan. She is one of my all-time favorite children’s authors.   If you are a fan of Pam Munoz Ryan’s previous books, this book does not disappoint, in fact, it is right up there with my all-time favorite, Riding Freedom.  Like most of her fiction, this book also has a historical fiction element, but unlike her previous books, this book begins as a traditional fantasy story. This book is thick, it is over 500 pages in length, but it is really,  four stories in one. Every story is a page-turner.  I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how the fantasy and the three separate tales of three children living in three different places and time periods would be woven together.  I am rooting for this book to receive a Newbery Medal this year.  Read it and see if you think it is worthy of a Newbery Medal!

Read of the Day

a perfectly messed up story

I used this 2016 Sakura Medal Contender as a read aloud for my kindergarten classes.   Louie sets out to tell a story, but gets interrupted by a plop of jelly landing onto the page.  Louie’s story continues to be interrupted by other messes and although the original story is never finished, Louie is satisfied in the end with his “messed” up story.

This book provoked laughter and a lot of discussion about book care and solutions for keeping books safe and dry.  Although, not my favorite 2016 Sakura Medal Contender, this book would make an excellent read aloud for librarians, classroom teachers and parents.

Don’t Be A Bad Kitty

image

During library lessons we’ve been talking about being responsible library patrons.  This Bad Kitty bookmark sums up a lot of our conversations about book care.  Next week in the library there will be a Bookmark Challenge.  Students will be encouraged to design their own bookmarks and if they feel they have a really outstanding bookmark, enter their bookmark in a design challenge contest.  All bookmarks in the design challenge will be due by October 9th.