Book of the Week: The Mother-Daugher Book Club

This post brought to you by student blogger Nina. 

Have you ever become friends with people who aren't like you? Cassidy, Megan, Jess, and Emma are all opposites. While Cassidy would rather be at the rink, Megan wants to be designing clothes for fashion magazines. Jess and Emma have always been best friends. While Jess is a math whiz, Emma wants to follow in her father's footsteps as an author. One day, while the moms are at yoga, they decide to start a book club. The girls hate the idea, but eventually they like it. With all the ups and downs of their friendship, they can relate their lives to the authors and characters of their books. 

A Leprechaun Hunt in the Library

St. Patrick's Day was on Thursday, and we had a leprechaun hunt in the Lower Campus Library! First graders searched for clues leading them all over the library, and eventually were led to a leprechaun and a pot of "gold" (candy). It was fun! The best parts of it were seeing teamwork in the classes and hearing the reading skills of the kids. They have come a long way in their reading since the beginning of the year and were able to read the clues with confidence!

Special Visitor to our Book Club

Page-Turners Book Club is the 3rd/4th grade book club led by Mrs. McSweeney and me. We meet two mornings a month in the library before school to discuss books! We've been reading the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees. The Maud Hart Lovelace award is Minnesota's Kids' Choice Book Award. Once students have read three nominees, they can vote for their favorite. Kids all over the state vote, and in April, we'll find out the winner!

Recently, the book club read Elvis and the Underdogs, a book about a boy named Benji who gets a service dog due to having seizures. The weird thing about the dog is that he can talk! He claims he is the president's dog, and is not meant to be a service dog for Benji. He's also a huge dog with a sometimes grumpy personality. However, he really brings Benji out of his shell. It's a funny and heartwarming story. 

To go along with the book, we met a service dog named Yolo. Yolo can turn on and off lights, open and close cabinets, and do a lot of other tasks. The kids loved meeting Yolo and comparing her abilities to the abilities of Elvis in the book. 

Book of the Week: The Young Elites

This post brought to you by student blogger Van. 

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

A girl named Adeline Amoutero has been very affected by the blood fever, a plague that spread through Kenettra. She had her eye removed because of this plague and she barely lived. These people who have been changed by the plague are called malfettos. There is a rumor that some of these malfettos have certain powers. This rumor is true. 

The ones that have powers have come together and formed a group called the Young Elites. They are trying to stop the killing of malfettos and finding more of them. Do you think they can do it ? Read The Young Elites to find out. 

Book of the Week: Amulet

This post brought to you by student blogger Elsa. 

Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

Have you ever seen something you couldn't explain?

In the world of Amulet, that's exactly what happens everyday… After the loss of their father, Emma, Nathan, and their mother have moved into a house in the woods, due to money loss, but the house holds more mysteries than they know. A strange tentacled creature kidnaps their mother, and it's up to Emma and Nathan to find her. But things aren't always as they seem…

Overall, Amulet is one of my favorite books. It's full of action, adventure, and mysterious characters! Its story is well written and keeps you wanting more all the time! Currently there are seven books in the series. My favorite is the fifth, which you can see in the picture. 

Sixth Grade Video Project

For "I Love to Read" Month, 6th graders were given an assignment: create a video that shares the importance of reading. They could choose if they wanted to do a trailer, a movie, or a green-screen movie. The results were awesome! Here are some samples. 

Book of the Week: To Kill a Mockingbird

This post brought to you by student blogger Caidan. 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Do you want to read a classic that is actually interesting? Well if yes, I would recommend To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This book is about a young girl nicknamed Scout and her day-to-day life in Maycomb County, Alabama. The main event of the story starts in the middle of the book when a black man is falsely accused of a crime he didn't do. Since the book is set in the Deep South in the 1930s, he has to deal with the racial inequality that exists. To learn more about this amazing book, head to your school library or Ms. Paine's library to check out To Kill A Mockingbird. 

Harper Lee recently passed away. Read this book in her honor!