Library Happenings

We've been busy in the upper and lower campus libraries! 

• Kindergartners have been settling into the checkout routine and learning how to find books they are interested in. 
• First and second graders have been learning about library rules and book care. They have been very responsible with their library books! 
• Third graders have done some scavenger hunts to learn their way around the upper campus library. They are also beginning to learn how to do searches on our online book catalog. 
• Fourth graders listened to the story Our Librarian Won't Tell Us Anything! by Toni Buzzeo and did a Reader's Theater play of the story. 
• Fifth graders have been writing scripts for green screen book reviews and will film them next week!
• Middle schoolers have been researching Mother Teresa, now called Saint Teresa of Calcutta. They've been finding credible research sources and writing their notes in our own words. They'll use their facts to make an art project. 

Book of the Week: Saving Gracie

This post brought to you by student blogger Mackenzie. 

Saving Gracie by Carol Bradley

Do you like sad or nonfiction books? If you do, then Saving Gracie is the book for you!  This book describes the horrors of puppy mills. Why spend so much money on breeders, when you can adopt? Gracie, a puppy mill dog, is known to the breeder as Dog 132. All she is to him is a number. She fortunately gets rescued by a shelter, and goes to another. While at the shelter, this six year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is shy and scared of humans. One day that changes. She meets Linda Jackson, a potential adopter. Fortunately Gracie goes home with her and her family is amazed by her. Will she ever warm up? Read this book to find more information on animal shelter experiences, family stories, health problems, and jury cases. Go ahead and read this book!

2016-2017 School Year

Welcome to a brand-new school year! I am happy to be back at the Carondelet Library, Upper and Lower Campus. We have lots of new books to enjoy and new, exciting things to learn! 

Here are just a few of the great things we will do this year: 

Kindergarten: learn to use the library and how to checkout books! Read books by Mo Willems, Dr. Seuss, and other favorite authors. 

First Grade: Read books by favorite authors such as Eric Carle, Laura Numeroff, Dr. Seuss, and more! Learn research skills as we study presidents and ocean animals. 

Second Grade: Research leaders in America for our Hero Projects. Read chapter books!

Third Grade: Learn how to use our online library catalog, Destiny, and its interactive feature, Destiny Quest. Read Maud Hart Lovelace Nominees (Minnesota's Kids' Choice Book Award). Learn more about the way a library is arranged, and the basics of alphabetical and numerical order. 

Fourth Grade: Research a state for our state projects. Read the Maud Hart Lovelace Nominees. Do reader's theater, including scary reader's theater for Halloween!

Fifth Grade: Write our own book recommendations and record them in front of the green screen. Learn library words and check for mastery. Read the Maud Hart Lovelace Nominees and make videos about them. Read a Newbery award winner!

Middle School: Do a variety of technology and book projects including: introductions using the Tellagami app, green screen videos, research for National History Day, research for social studies projects, book trailers in iMovie, book promotional posters, book blogging, and more!

Book of the Week: Winning Balance

This post brought to you by student blogger Maggie. 

Do you love gymnastics? Then Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson is the book for you! This book takes you through the childhood of a 2008 Olympic gymnast who won a gold medal. America's sweetheart, who won four medals in Beijing and the coveted mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars! Read the story about a Midwestern girl at heart, her journey, and the hard work it took to win three silver Olympic medals, one Olympic gold medal, and become the 2007 world champion.

This book has life lessons at the end of each chapter and it is a great book for girls ages 9-17! Enjoy! 

Chatterpix

Fifth graders used an app called Chatterpix Kids to create a mouth on a drawing to make the drawing "talk." This was a two-part lesson. On the first day, students concentrated on choosing a character and drawing the picture. On the second day, students created a script and did the recording. We spent an additional class period watching each other's Chatterpix videos. It was a lot of fun!

Here are some samples. 

Book of the Week: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

This post brought to you by student blogger John Henry. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Do you like the realistic fiction? Well if you do, you should read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part­-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part­-Time Indian is a book about an Indian kid named Junior. Junior is very smart and intelligent, but he gets in trouble and is suspended. His teacher comes over to his house and tells him that everyone makes mistakes and he is very intelligent, so he tells him that he needs to push himself and go to Reardan High School. Reardan is a better school with advanced classes. But he would lose his best friend Rowdy, who would be back at the other school on the Indian Reservation. Knowing the fact that he would lose his best friend, he decides to go to Reardan anyway. Reardan is a school with mostly white kids, so he gets made fun of a lot. But as the school year continues it only gets better! For example he makes the varsity basketball team and makes a lot of new friends. Find out what happens next in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part­-Time Indian! 

Book of the Week: The Candymakers

This post brought to you by student blogger Avery. 

Do you like candy?

In this book, four lucky children have a once-in- a-lifetime-chance to compete against each other and other kids to see who can make the best candy. These kids will have only two days to make a delicious new candy before the competition. Two days before the competition these four kids, (Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip), will report to Life Is Sweet candy factory to dream up their very own candy idea! Each contestant will make their very own candy and enter it into the Annual New Candy Contest. Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip will go through ups and downs while making their new candy.

I recommend this book for kids ages 8-13. I loved this book because there was always a surprise around every corner. It made me hungry and happy. Wendy Mass made The Candymakers a downright great story. As all books go, there has to be a plot twist and so there is. Find out what it is by reading The Candymakers by Wendy Mass.