These are the dates and titles for the upcoming Book Cafe meetings. Pizza will be served at all cafes along with a drink and dessert.
Fifth Grade Cafe
Wednesday, February 15th
Book: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Sixth Grade Cafe
Wednesday March 21st
Book: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
7th/8th Grade Boys Cafe
Thursday March 22nd
Book: Maze Runner by James Dashner
A Number of parents have asked for an up to date wish list for the library for donations and birthday gifts to the library. I will try to update this list every month,so keep checking back. There is also a direct link to the wish list on the left side of my blog titled "Books."
Your generosity is greatly appreciated and the kids really do enjoy seeing the books they have donated being read and checked out! Thank you!!!
Lisa Nagel
As of January 9, 2012
A reminder that book cafe for both the 6th and 7/8th grades will meet this week in the library during lunch. Both groups are reading Countdown by Deborah Wiles.
Mulitple copies of this book are available in the library and in Ms. Kelley's classroom.
The fifth grade book cafe will meet next week on Wednesday, January 18th. We are reading Found by Margaret Haddix
We WILL be serving PIZZA, a drink and dessert at all cafes.
Preschool read a winter favorite of mine, The Mitten by Jan Brett. Even thought it has felt more like Spring, we talked and sang about getting ready to go out in the cold. We also followed the animals into the mitten, and remembered the beginning and end of the story. This Ukranian folktale is also retold in another version by Jim Aylesworth, one of the Monarch Award nominees for 2012. Grades K-2 read this version and compared and contrasted each story.
Grade 3 read selections from the Monarch award nominees for 2012. Including Shark v. Train and Never Smile at a Monkey, as well as Interrupting Chicken.
Grade 4 and 5 began an unit on the Dewey Decimal System, and learned all about Melville Dewey and ten different ways to group books by watching Dewey and the Alien.
Which one will you vote for?
Our libray participates in three of the Illinois School Library Media Association Awards. If students have read, or had read to them, the required number of books, then they are eligible to vote in February for their favorite book. Votes are collected from all participating libraries in Illinois, the winning books are usually announced some time in March. This week grades K-3 began reading titles from the Monarch list together during library time. Students have also been encouraged to read titles from these lists on their own. To find the current 2012 list of books that are nominated, see below.
The Monarch Award for K-3rd Grades
The name Monarch was chosen because of its familiarity to K-3 children and to symbolize the growth, change and freedom that becoming a reader brings. The Monarch is designed to encourage children to read critically and become familiar with children's books, authors and illustrators. The program is open to all K-3 age children in Illinois. Download Monarch2012MasterList-3
The Blustem Award for Grades 3-5
This the second year for this award. It is designed for students in grades 3-5 who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles. Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists. Download Bluestem_Master_List_2012
The Rebecca Caudill Award for Grades 4-8
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults. Download 2012MasterList-2
Preschool students have been reading about Christmas. We read both "fiction" and "non fiction," as we introduce them to the difference between a story and facts and information. First we read "Christmas," a small book in the Rookie Read About holiday series, followed by a read aloud favorite Llama Llama, Holiday Drama by Ana Dewdney.
1-6th grade have read a new favorite in the Bad Kitty series by Nick Bruel, A Bad Kitty Christmas. This is a funny tale about a kitty who runs away from home and learns about what really matters most at Christmas. We then worked on Bad Kitty word searches and other activities, and worked in centers.
Today we were very fancy....
Fancy Nancy author Jane O'Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, visited Saint Francis Xavier school today. Students pre-K through 8th grade gathered in the gym complete with "fancy" accessories and had a real treat. First we had a slide presentation, and Ms O'Connor read Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, and then Ms. Glasser helped students find their "balance" and demonstrate excellent posture...bananas you ask? Middle school students had a special treat as the two women talked to them about creative writing and the illustration process.
The students were wonderful and showed terrific listening skills and a real ability to accessorize.
We are very grateful to Andersons Book Store of Naperville, our book fair hosts, for bringing these amazing women to our school.
Students that pre-ordered personalized signed copies of the Fancy Nancy books may pick them up in the library. Limited numbers of signed books are also available at the book sale in the Xavier Room through Monday.
November is Picture Book Month, and we have been celebrating in the library all month long. Some of my new favorites that we have been reading are:
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Jerry Pinkney
I Want My Hat Back byJon Klassen
Stars by Mary Lyn Ray
Goodnight Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Older students have been writing about their favorite picture books when they were children, and then creating their own picture book ideas, characters and illustrations.
Here is a wonderful link to a video on the value of picture books
