Christmas came to us in October!

*This post was written by our sweet and fearless leader, Meg Brooke! :)

Christmas came to us in October! J  There were some funds left in the account that we were approved to spend, and so I ordered these books for our professional development.  It does not look like we will be moving downstairs, and so I will keep these in my office upstairs.  I know that there is little time for much extra, but hopefully some of these references will be something that some or one of you needs to give that extra “umph” to take your library or you as a librarian to that next level!  Our students deserve this!

If you’re interested in any of these, let me know and I’ll send it by the PONY.  I plan to do some quick “reviews” of these in the future, too, to hopefully pique your interest.

These are the books:

I get pumped just reading the titles!  But the real worth is what’s inside………

TITLE	AUTHOR
School Libraries Matter: Views from the Research	Mirah Dow, ed
Growing Schools: Librarians as Professional Developers	Debbie Abilock, Kristin Fontichiaro, and Violet Harada, editors
Literacy: A Way Out for At-Risk Youth	Jennifer Sweeney
Get Those Guys Reading: Fiction and Series Books that Boys Will Love	Kathleen Baxter and Marcia Kochel
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and the School Library: Inquiry-based Education	Anthony Tilke
The Library Catalogue as a Social Space: Promoting Patron Driven Collections, online Communities, and Enhanced Reference and Readers’ Services	Laura Tarulli
Copyright Catechism II: Practical Answers to Everyday School Dilemmas	Carol Simpson
iPads in the Library: Using Tablet Technology to Enhance Programs for All Ages	Joel A. Nichols
Travel the Globe: Story times, Activities, and Crafts for Children	Desiree Webber, Dee Ann Corn, Elaine Harrod, et al
Book Clubbing:  Successful Book Clubs ..	Carol Littlejohn
Reference Skills for the School Librarian	Ann M. Riedling, Loretta Shake, Cynthia Houston
Integrating Young Adult Literature through the Common Core Standards	Rachel Wadham and Jonathan Ostenson
The Learning Commons: 7 Simple Steps to Transform Your Library	Pamela C. Harland
Seven Steps to an Award-winning School Library Program	Ann M. Martin
A Guided Inquiry Approach to High School Research	Randell K. Schmidt
Guided Inquiry Design: a Framework for Inquiry in Your School	Carol C. Kuhlthau, Leslie K. Maniotes, and Ann K. Caspari

What's Next for Diary of a Wimpy Kid?

On November 4th, from 1 - 2 p.m. Central Time Jeff Kinney, author of The Wimpy Kid Series, will give readers a preview of his newest book Hard Luck. It sounds like a great program for a reading class or elective class to join in and get excited about this crazy-popular series!

Sign up for alerts from School Library Journal to hear more about these special events.

Teen Read Week

Students at Hueytown Middle School are working hard to get ready for Teen Read Week 2013! Be on the lookout for posts written by students explaining the significance of Teen Read Week as well as digital resources created by library aides to promote this library event.

Free Sampler of The 5th Wave!

Barnes & Noble is giving away samplers of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey! It's the first 70 pages of one of the best books I have ever read.

The first three people who respond will get a pony surprise!

This post-apocalytic novel is perfect for middle or high school readers.

Remember, respond to the blog for a copy!

Books to Think About -

Common Sense Media just posted reviews of "five books parents should read". What are your thoughts about these books? I have read a couple of them and I must say that Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys is one of my favorite teen lit books from this year. Which ones are in your library?

Here's a link to the books: Common Sense Media's 5 Books

And the second winner is...

Pam Bullock is the proud new owner of Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys! Congratulations! You will receive it in the pony soon.

Comment on this post if you are interested in another giveaway of an advanced reader edition!

It's World Read Aloud Day! What are You Reading?

How will you reach across the world today to celebrate World Read Aloud Day? Skype is a great way to connect to other classrooms across town or farther and share reading aloud.

Authors have also volunteered their time to read with classes of students through Skype (a free software tool for video chats or phone calls and it's free as long as the other person also has Skype downloaded on their computer).

And it's not too late to participate today. The whole idea is to celebrate reading around the world and "pay it forward" according to the World Read Aloud Day website. We are celebrating that we can read and write and have that privilege to learn. What a wonder!

Boy Books and Girl Books

I am a firm believer that all literature provides equal opportunity for any individual, regardless of gender. There are many who disagree. Some folks say girls don't like Hatchet, and some say boys would never be interested Little House on the Prairie. To them I would ask why a girl shouldn't enjoy a good survival book (Hunger Games demographics have very recently proven that), and also why a boy wouldn't enjoy a vividly descriptive work about pioneer life.

We can't put readers in our preconceived boxes. 

But just because it's true that some girls really don't like Hatchet, here is a great list of books recommended for the little ladies from ages 1-9.

Likewise, just as the young gentlemen can be a bit choosy sometimes when being proffered literature, here's another good list for them as well, appropriate for various ages through middle school.

These might be a neat idea for a display for the last two weeks in April. What would you title it? Boy Books and Chick Lit?

Let the Games begin!

*This post is by Carla Crews, one of the school librarians at Shades Valley High School/JCIB/Shades Valley Technical Academies.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, movie adaptations of books give us a great opportunity to promote recreational reading. Our library recently invited teachers and students to participate in our own version of The Hunger Games, based on the popular series by Suzanne Collins. The movie release is March 23, and we wanted to encourage students to read the book first! We set up activity stations around the library, which included archery, rope tying, costume design, arm wrestling, trivia questions, online games, and a viewing station for the movie trailer. Several of the station activities offered students a chance to put their name into the “reaping.” Here we deviated slightly from the book, as contestants actually wanted their name in this drawing. Students were quite competitive when they learned that a local theater donated movie passes for the prize drawing!

We began with some brainstorming sessions (and the Internet). The following two resources were particularly helpful during our planning phase:

http://www.bethanymediacenter.com/hungergames.html

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/shelftalker/?p=365

We gathered our supplies, only spending money on a bow, arrows, and rope. We created themed signage for the event and typed questions for the trivia station. The braided nylon rope was cut into 18” pieces, and instructions were placed at the station for tying various types of knots. Paper rabbits were set up as targets at the archery station. Due to some concerns about teenagers shooting a bow in the library, we used a child-size bow and ‘play’ arrows that had suction cup tips... no damaged walls or speared children! For the opening ceremony costume designs, we already had all the necessary supplies – paper, pencils, crayons/markers, and lots of books on fashion, costumes, and clothing design. We also included a list of the districts’ trades and industries for inspiration. The Scholastic website offers some exciting online games related to The Hunger Games series. These online games, along with The Hunger Games Wiki, were set up as desktop icons at the computer station. Students could scan a QR code at the viewing station to watch the movie trailer. Tributes showed off their strength as they conquered opponents at the arm wrestling station, our school-friendly alternative to the brutal combat of the actual Games.

If you’re looking around on the web for ideas related to The Hunger Games, check out the hashtag #THGyalsa on Twitter. This was a YALSA-sponsored tweet session during Teen Tech Week to discuss the movie release and library programming ideas. One librarian tweeted that she is planning a Wii Archery tournament. And should you decide to turn your library into a Hunger Games arena…  may the odds be ever in your favor.

Reading Fiction Whole

Here is a very interesting article about why students should be reading works of fiction in their entirety.

http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2012/02/29/02sacks.h05.html?tkn=STCF%2FyeVI3jIHRbbLeuS8sEm9AdS7JL0waE%2F&cmp=clp-sb-teacher

What You Already Know About Displays

It never ceases to amaze me that whatever I put on a display gets checked out - immediately. To paraphrase the late Steve Jobs, they don't know they need it until you let them know they need it.

That's exactly what happened when one week before Martin Luther King Day (picture courtesy of National Geographic for Kids), I set up a display with MLK books - books on the Freedom Riders, various biographies of MLK, Civil Rights books, and books highlighting his speeches. You name it, I had it out there. And, as of today, all of the books are checked out. That is, except for one that said, "does not exist" when it was scanned. I'll deal with it later.

My question is why? Those books were always there on the shelves. I also have one poster of MLK in my library and a huge piece of artwork with 16 panels of MLK's visage, so it is not as if there are no reminders that this man plays the main role in the development of the New South (Huffington Post article referencing that on Friday the 13th). The students who checked them out just didn't realize they needed them until I put them out there within easy reach.

Never underestimate the power of displays.

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Alabama School Library Week

Alabama School Library Week was created by the Alabama School Library Association in 2009 as a way to promote school libraries around the state. School libraries are important (Can I get an "Amen?")! By holding special activities such as inviting special guests in to visit our libraries and read with our children, we are advocating for our library programs!

This is how ASLW looked at my school this week:
Monday: Library OPAC Scavenger Hunt Day (All classes who visited the library participated in a scavenger hunt created just for them.)
Tuesday: Favorite Book Character Day (All students who visited the library got to vote for their favorite book character.)
Wednesday: Library Treasures on the Web! (Learning how to access NHES Library's "treasures" 24 hours a day.)
Thursday: Library Stamp Day (All students who visit the library get a special stamp.)
Friday: Book Character Dress-Up Day (District dress code must be followed).
*Every day, we welcomed guest readers into the school library to read with the children.
**Every day, we had special quotes about the library read on the announcements, as well as book trivia (question in the morning, answer in the afternoon).

Does any of this sound fancy to you? Nope, it really wasn't. The point wasn't to be fancy. The point was to promote the library, and that goal was accomplished. Every single day students were talking about the library, begging their teachers to bring them, and more importantly they were excited about the privilege of using the library.

Alabama School Library Week: Mission accomplished! 

Ghostly Literacy Programming

*Today's post is written by Jennifer Anders of West Jefferson Elementary.

            

 As school librarians we are charged with collaborating with teachers, students, parents and the community as we plan and develop our program. One of our most valuable resources, however, is each other. Recently, Michelle Wilson (North Highland Elementary) and I got together and planned a “Big Read” unit for our respective schools without ever meeting face to face. However, we were in constant contact using different communication and social tools. Actually, we spent more time collaborating than an average lesson with teachers because of the ease of communication. This blog entry explains a little bit about what we did and how we did it.

            First, we chose the book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham. This was a good choice for a couple of reasons. One, it is pertinent right now because Mrs. Windham passed away this past summer, so there has been a good bit of media coverage about her and her life. Second, if you are an elementary school librarian, you know that her series of ghost stories is always popular with the kids. This selection also allowed us to concentrate on the 4th grade social studies curriculum featuring Alabama geography, history and culture.

            Next we developed a list of activities we could do with the students in our schools, and then secured or created resources to teach the activity.

Examples:

1.    Introduce Kathryn Tucker Windham to students using video clip from APT Plus. 

2. Develop research booklet to guide students learning.

3. Booktalk the ghost stories in the book.

4. Take a virtual trip through Alabama using Tripline.

5. Use the Encyclopedia of Alabama to research Kathryn Tucker Windham.

6. Create ghosts crafts with each grade level.

7.   Attend production of 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey one act musical.

(Just a stroke of luck that it was playing at the local high school.

8.    Conduct a Ghost Museum, invite parents, community members and district level employees to tour the museum. 

Some of the networking tools we used to communicate are tools we use everyday. We communicated by Facebook, email, text and Pinterest. While we were teaching the lessons we would of often text between classes to find out what was working or not working so we could adjust our teaching strategies. And most importantly, it was fun, educational and strengthened a working relationship between two librarians miles apart.

If you want more information about this lesson, please attend the First Friday session Friday, November 7^th.  We will share live with you details about the unit and links to all the resources.

Celebrating Literature

Everything we do as school librarians has a distinct purpose. Every lesson we plan is done so in support of the course of study. Every objective we design for collection development is in harmony with the school's strategic plan. Every activity we coordinate with students is relevant to their everyday lives.

Book character pumpkin contests is an annual fall event for many schools. Students are given some basic guidelines and suggestions for book characters, and the activity is designed to promote an awareness of literature and provides an opportunity for children to reflect on the traits of a character. It works well because it's fun, inexpensive, simple, and permits such room for creativity. As other students come in to view and vote on their favorite pumpkins, they discuss the book characters with one another and have informal yet in-depth talks about why they like each character. That's good stuff!

Here are a few pictures of this year's book pumpkins from my students at North Highland Elementary:

Cinderella

Indiana Jones

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The Rainbow Fish

Bad Kitty

Hello Kitty

Wizard of Oz-Scarecrow

Wizard of Oz-Wicked Witch of the West

Wizard of Oz-Tin Man

These are a few of the pumpkins from West Jefferson Elementary's contest. Jennifer Anders is the school librarian there. 

Kermit the Frog

Wicked Witch (Wizard of Oz)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Read 100,000

Looking for ways to increase reading scores? We can tell students to read all day, everyday, but Scholastic has created a neat tool to add some novelty to keeping up with reading minutes that kids will love! The program is called Read 100,000, and will allow kids to be a part of a Worldwide Record-Breaking reading team this summer. Here is how it works:

The school librarian sets up an account on the Scholastic website by registering your school to participate. Then students will be able to register their minutes by logging in to the "kids" sign in area. They create a username by "spinning the wheel!" One bonus of signing up for the program during the school year is that students will be accustomed to signing in to the site when summer starts. Then they can help read for a World Record. That way, all you have to tell them for a summer reading program is to continue using their Read 100,000 account. (There are other options for registering large numbers of students at once).

Reading logs, flyers, and sign up information are all located in the resources section of the webpage as are bookmarks and a certificate of achievement.

One nifty feature is the Reading Calculator which - no surprise here - adds up the minutes of reading for the individual student or the whole school. The point is to get the whole school to read 100,000 minutes.

Here's an example:

200 Students

x Reading 30 minutes a day

x 180 Days

That equals 108,000 minutes! There is no end to the mathematical calculations that can be done!

Now, all you have to do is meet with your language arts colleagues and plan a time for students to register on the site. My school is doing it during their Book Fair time. While some students browse, I will have others signing up for the program. The program runs through April 2012.