Carondelet Library

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Leprechauns in the Library?

This week, 1st graders had a chance to go on a leprechaun hunt in the library. They were split into groups and given sets of clues. The clues led them around the library, each clue leading to another clue, and ultimately, to a prize for each group! The leprechauns left behind stickers and dum-dum suckers in secret locations.

This was a fun activity, but also a great way to use our reading and listening skills, problem solving strategies, and our navigation skills in the library. By doing the activity, students were able to remember where the fiction section is, where the nonfiction section is, where certain books with favorite characters are located, etc.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

When God Made You

I have been participating in a program called Blogging for Books. I receive free books to review. I read them and blog about them! This has been a fun new way to add books to our library collection and to provide feedback to authors and publishers. One drawback to the Blogging for Books site is that there aren't always a lot of children's books to choose from, so that has been a bit limiting.

This month, the book I received to review is called When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner, illustrated by David Catrow. Some sixth grade students and I worked together to read the book and submit a review for Blogging for Books.

The students loved the inspirational message of the story. They said it made them feel special and important. Henry said, "It makes you feel like you can make a difference in the world." Elena said, "It was so truthful, about how God loves you and made you unique." Students enjoyed the vibrant illustrations and the whimsical animals and birds.

The students found parts of the story to be a bit repetitive, and said that this would make a good bedtime story because it is rhyming and soothing. They said that it seemed to be for an audience younger than them. They said they'd recommend for toddlers through early elementary school.

We thought the book was uplifting with a good message and fun artwork.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Book of the Week: Draw 50 Sea Creatures

Welcome back to the 2017-2018 school year! We have been having so much fun in the library that we haven't had as much time to update the blog. One of the new endeavors the library is participating in is receiving preview books. We have been receiving some books from publishers and the students have been providing feedback! This is a fun way for students to share their ideas about books with audiences outside of the school.

We received the book Draw 50 Sea Creatures from Blogging for Books. We have many of the "Draw 50" books and the students love them! The students will be very excited to draw sharks, stingrays, dolphins, and more. The book gives step-by-step directions for drawing each creature. When I've asked kids about the other "Draw 50" books, they've said the directions are easy to follow and make drawing fun!
We look forward to using this in our library!

Friday, May 26, 2017

Letters to Authors

Apologies for not updating more recently. We've been so busy around here! Recently, the third graders wrote letters to their favorite authors. We haven't done this activity in previous years, and I'm glad we did this year. This was a great activity. Students learned how to write a friendly letter, how to address an envelope, how to search for an author's address, and learned that many publishing companies are in New York.

They wrote letters to Raina Telgemeier, Jeff Kinney, Tom Watson, and Rachel Renee Russell, to name a few!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Life-Size Leaders

February was Black History Month, and as a research project, middle school students selected an African American leader to research. They learned about the leader's early life, career, achievements, later life, and more. We used books, as well as online databases and websites, for research. This was a good opportunity to discuss credible resources, avoiding plagiarism, and note-taking skills. After taking notes, students wrote a paper about their leader, and created a "life size" model of the person. We put them up in the hallway, and they've been really popular! Students love to stop in the hallway and look at them, and read about the lives of these leaders.

Blind Date with a Book

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. We've been busy! On Valentine's Day, students participated in a "Blind Date with a Book." It was really fun. Here's how it worked: I wrapped up some books in plain brown paper and wrote the book's barcode on the outside. I also wrote what the book was "seeking" for a reader. Then I set up the wrapped books on a "Blind Date" table with balloons, a sign, and a heart plaque.

The kids thought it was funny, but most importantly, they were excited to check out books.

Book of the Week: This Journal Belongs to Ratchet

This review brought to you by Sylvia.

Are you looking for a great book? Well you've found one. This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by Nancy Cavanuagh is great for readers 8-12. It's an amazing story about a girl named Ratchet who thinks that she has a pretty bad life. No mom, no friends, and a crazy dad. This book is an example of epistolary writing, where you use different formats of writing and letters to tell a story. Ratchet and her dad work on cars together, her dad is a mechanic and an environmentalist. His caring about the environment gets him community service. He gets in trouble again and has to pick up garbage on the side of the road. All in saving Moss Tree Park. Ratchet decides to help too, but soon more trouble comes. What will happen next? Will Ratchet ever be normal? Find out in This Journal Belongs to Ratchet.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Book of the Week: The Testing

This review brought to you by Eva.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Do you like adventure? The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is an adventure- packed story about a young girl named Cía who lives in the five lakes colony which is filled with oceans and plants. Every year there is a graduation ceremony where certain advanced students are picked for the testing. Cía has spent her whole life working her way towards the testing after she found out her dad was selected. On the day of her graduation Cía, along with 5 others from her colony are chosen for the testing but she finds out the testing is not at all what she hoped. Her father tells her she can't trust anyone and then she is off in a skimmer to what is about to be the worst years of her life. Will Cía pass the testing? What will happen to her during the process? Find out in The Testing.

If you're looking for an enticing adventure, survival book then The Testing is the book for you. You'll be hooked as soon as you start! Read The Testing from your local library!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Book of the Week: Spy School

This post brought to you by student blogger Evie.

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

Do you like surprises? Do you like action? Do you like weapons? If you answered yes to the last one, you have a problem. But if you answered yes to the other two, then Spy School is the one for you. A middle school student named Ben Ripley comes home one day to find an FBI agent in his living room asking him if he wants to join Spy School, and for a Gatorade. He says yes, which is the best and worst choice he's ever made. He transfers to the new school, where he meets the smartest and most beautiful girl he's ever met. Her name is Erica. Almost immediately after moving in, an assassin tries to kill him. He takes the guy out with just a tennis racket! From then on, his life becomes more interesting, with assassins, SPYDER, and of course, the horrible plumbing at Spy School. To find out more, read Spy School by Stuart Gibbs.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Book of the Week: Penny From Heaven

This review brought to you by Caroline C.

Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Do you like baseball, pecan ice cream, and summer days? Penny From Heaven is a story about an 11 year old girl named Penny. She is living in the 1950s struggling to be normal. Her grandpa talks to the radio, her mother is dating the milk man, she has a crazy hair cut, and her grandma makes smelly food. Something tragic happens that changes her life. Will she be able to hear her grandpa talk to the radio again? Or taste her grandma's smelly food again? Read this book to find out.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Coding in the Library

It's computer science week, and we've had a lot of fun doing an Hour of Code on code.org! Then a student sent me a fun elf dancer coding game, and we had tons of fun with that as well! https://santatracker.google.com/codeboogie.html

Book of the Week: Number the Stars

This post brought to you by student blogger Ella C.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Do you like historical fiction? If so, you'll love the book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This book takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark when the Holocaust was happening. Annemarie and Ellen are best friends, and Ellen is Jewish. The Nazis could easily find her. Something horrible could happen. Ellen has to stay with Annemarie and be her fake sister. Will Ellen and Annemarie make it through this terrifying journey? Find out by reading Number the Stars.

Library Tic-Tac-Toe

Fourth and fifth graders had a ton of fun playing tic tac toe in the library! Here's how it worked.

Students in pairs were given 9 book titles and authors on a sheet of paper. I had typed out the book titles/authors in advance, and tried to pick a mix of fiction and nonfiction, books that were in and books that were checked out. Students then wrote these titles/authors on their game board in whatever order they liked. In later classes, I realized we could save time (and prevent writer's cramp!) by cutting out the titles and pasting them onto the squares.

Then students used our search computers or iPads to look up the books. If the book was in, they marked that square with an X on the game board, but needed to find the book on the shelf to prove it was in. If the book was out, they marked it with an O on the game board. Teams tried to get three X's or three O's in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to win a tic-tac-toe!

I found this activity through my librarian friend Anna, who found it from her friend Shawna. I think in their version, only three X's in the row (and not three O's) counted as a tic-tac-toe. I did end up with quite a lot of winners allowing both X's or O's to win, but it was fun for students to feel successful!

We had a lot of fun, but most importantly, students polished their skills in looking up books in the catalog and searching for them on the shelves!

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Book of the Week: Left to Tell

This post brought to you by student blogger Meghan.

Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza

Do you like biographies? Read Left to Tell. Left to Tell is about a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust. She writes about her journey and what she had seen. Like living in a really tiny bathroom with eight other women while hunters were coming and looking for them. In the bathroom she couldn't talk so she spent most of her time praying to God. I couldn't put this book down while I was reading it. Read this book to find out what happens and how her relationship with God helps her out. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Book of the Week: The People of Sparks

This review brought to you by student blogger James.

People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau

If you like adventure books, then you'll love The People Of Sparks. It is about two curious kids ( Doon and Lina ) who go on a secret mission to save Ember and all of its citizens. This isn't without loss. Death, struggle, and lack of motivation are only a few of things they had to overcome. When they finally make it out of the underground city of Ember it took them days to make it to Sparks. When they first arrived they were partly greeted and partly hated. As the stay grew longer so did the peoples' hate. Lina and her adoptive mother as well as her little sister Poppy were lucky enough to get a house to stay in with one of the doctors of the town. This was because after the long journey to Sparks, Poppy had caught an illness. The doctor had nephews that lived with her. Toren was one of the nephews and Casper was the other. Casper was a Roamer. Being a Roamer is a dangerous job, it means that you venture out into the regions of this post apocalyptic world. When Lina heard that Casper was going on an adventure to the city she'd dreamed of seeing, she had to go, so she did. Casper's goal was to find an old treasure buried in the rumble. The day of the departure, Lina snuck into a barrel on the back of the wagon... Do they make it out alive? Does Casper find the gem? Read The People Of Sparks to find out.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Book of the Week: The Thing About Jellyfish

This post brought to you by student blogger Aidan.

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Do you like a book with sad and funny moments and twists around every single turn? If so, than you will loveThe Thing About Jellyfish. The book is about a girl who loses her best friend at a young age. Franny has drowned, but Suzy is puzzled by this because Franny is normally a very good swimmer. Suzy investigates and finds something very strange. The book is sad and funny and happy and every single type of emotion there is. Read The Thing About Jellyfish.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Book of the Week: Counting by 7s

This post brought to you by student blogger Ally.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Counting by 7s is a great book full of twists and turns. Willow is a 12 year old girl who is incredibly smart and socially challenged. Willow is adopted and her parents shelter her and understand her. She doesn't fit in at school, although she creates a special bond with her counselor Dell Duke, and siblings Mai and Queng Ha. Willow always relies on counting by sevens, but one day, her whole world is turned around. She comes home from school one day to learn that her parents got in a car accident and died. Mai convinces her mom Patty to take Willow in temporarily, and eventually permanently. What will happen to Willow now that her parents cannot shelter her? Will she keep counting by 7s and swimming against the current, or will her life change for the better?

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

New Signs in the Library

Last spring, 5th graders created new signage for our library! First they were assigned a certain Dewey section of nonfiction. Their task was to find out what types of books are in that section by looking on the shelves. After taking notes on that, they used Wordle to create word clouds for the section. I showed them that in Wordle, words will show up bigger if typed multiple times. So for the headings and important words, they typed them many times, and for less important words, they typed them in less. I think they turned out great. Here are some samples.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Book of the Week: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

This post brought to you by student blogger Luci.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

What is the meaning of life? One mysterious day, Jeremy receives a wooden box made for him. Jeremy, along with his best friend Lizzy, desperately want to open the box to find what's inside but unfortunately, the box is sealed and locked. The box needs four different story keys to be unlocked. Lizzy and Jeremy go on wild adventures in order to find the keys. But are the keys ever found? And will they ever find out what's inside the box and who sent it? Find out when you read Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life!

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Book of the Week: I am Malala

This post brought to you by student blogger Harry.

I am Malala by Malala Yousazfai

When Malala was a young girl in Pakistan, she loved going to school in the Swat Valley. It was a school that her father had built. But things quickly changed. The Taliban had been closing down schools for girls because they very much disliked education for girls and women. Malala was trying to stand up for education. When the Taliban found out Malala was doing this, they stopped her school bus and shot her in the head. Luckily she survived and still continues to fight for all girls to have an education. Read the book to find out what happened to Malala during her courageous journey.