Author: araujoj

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Story time magic?

Last Thursday we experienced some story time magic in the library.  I was reading a new book, The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool (Author) and Alison Jay (Illustrator), to the grade 2 students.  We were all swept away by this amazing story of a boy who can spin thread from the clouds and weave beautiful garments when, suddenly, it began to rain just as I read the sentence “It rained and it rained and it rained”.  We couldn’t believe it.  It was magical.  One of the students remarked that it must have been because they were listening so hard.  Reading is a beautiful, magical thing.

Come to the library to check out The Cloud Spinner and many other magical stories.

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Welcome back!

September News from the Library:

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and read some great books. I know I did!

The library program has some exciting opportunities in store for your child this year:
• Our curriculum will be promoting the very best of children’s literature to your child with activities designed to help students enjoy the stories even more.
• We will be doing our very best to get (or keep) your children “hooked on reading” by recommending specific reading materials to each individual.
• At each grade level, students will be learning information literacy skills specifically suited to their developmental needs.
• The iPads will continue to be used for learning and exciting new projects!
• We have a lot of special events being planned: author visits, DEAR day, book fairs, Literacy Week, the home reading club, and more!
• If you would like to volunteer to help in the library, please let me know. We’d love to have you.
Upcoming events:

Sept 16- 20: The Scholastic Book Fair is back! Come and check out some great books before or after you visit with your child’s teacher that week. We really need parent volunteers. Please sign up in the hallway just outside the library doors or come and see me.

Sept. 23- Home Reading Club begins! Last year we read to the moon. Stay tuned for more details about our goal this year.

Oct. 28- D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Day. Join us as we celebrate reading school wide.

Check out the library blog for more information and updates throughout the year. You can access it from the school website under the library tab or go to: http://goo.gl/PPPXu
Use your smartphone to find us too! (A great app for scanning QR codes is i-nigma)

Questions? Comments? Please come and see me in the library. I’m looking forward to an exciting year!

Mrs. Araujo
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

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Thank you!

Check out this fantastic photo created by one of our staff members, Shelly Leroux. The hands are from Division 8. Can you recognize anyone?
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Thank you to everyone for a fantastic year! See you in September!

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We made it to the moon!

Congratulations everyone!  At Thursday’s assembly we celebrated 250 nights of reading.  We travelled 401,500km in our reading journey and made it to the moon.  Everyone who read 250 nights placed a nameplate in a book of their choice in the library.  What should our challenge be for next year?  I would love to hear your ideas.  Leave them here on the blog or come and see me next week.

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Read any good books lately?

Students in Divisions 4 and 5 have been busy writing book reviews for our online library catalogue called Destiny.  First students read many different reviews and created criteria for a good book review.  Then students chose a book from our library and wrote a review.  Next, they edited it with the help of peers and teachers and finally posted it online.  These reviews are now available to all students and staff in Burnaby on the Destiny catalogue.  The reviews have also been posted in the hallway and in the library.  Here are just a few:

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Have you ever been hungry between meals but there is nothing in the snack cupboard? I know I have! Well, now you can fight back against the urge of hunger with Snack Attack! It gives you over 80 things to snack on after school, on game day or practically anywhere! This book has a truckload of food you and your friends can snack on anytime, anywhere! It goes all the way from cheeseburger dip to Australian meat balls and so on! It even has some amazing desserts you can have after (or before) some of the yummiest dinners ever by your mom! My favourite recipe is probably the cherry chocolate chip cookies. I have tried them and they are delicious!!!! The amazing soft center and crispy edges mixed with the soothing flavour of melted chocolate and then there’s an explosion of flavour when you hit a cherry!! If you like humour, dessert and cheese burger dip, I totally recommend this book to you and only you!!!!

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Do you ever feel like you’ve lived a day over again? Well this is the perfect chapter book for you. This book is by Wendy Mass. It’s a great mystery and realistic fiction book. Amanda and Leo were born on the same day, same hospital and right beside each other. They have always celebrated their birthdays together. On their 11th birthday they don’t celebrate together and that is when they have to live that day over and over again. My favourite part of this book is on the second day when Amanda finds out that she is living her birthday over again. I recommend this book to grades 4-12 and to anyone who likes a bit of humour, action and mystery. Enjoy!

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Have you been involved in a terrible tragedy? Will’s involved in one in this dramatic story by Eric Walters. Will, a grade 9 student, will be spending the day at his father’s workplace, the World Trade Center. Will’s dad works on the 85th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. But a plane hits the North Tower. Will’s Dad tells everyone on the 85th floor to evacuate but Will and his father stay to check to make sure everyone gets out. Then a plane hits the South Tower. Will and his father are above the floors where the plane hit. James (Will’s friend) is worried because his dad is a firefighter and went up to save people, but he hasn’t come back. Does everyone survive? Read it and find out. My favourite part is when Will is scared going up the elevator because Will’s dad told him that the elevator goes really fast. It made me laugh out loud. If you are interested in historical fiction, you will really like this book.

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Writers, writers, everywhere!

Last week Division 10 invited me to their first author’s circle.  Students in Ms. Shuster’s class have been very excited about writing and have been publishing their books using the ipads.  They have also been donating their books to the library and inspired me to create  a new display of student writing.  After seeing the display, many classes have offered to share their writing too.  I can’t wait to see what they’ve written.

Along with student books, we also have some new books in the library that I think will inspire any writer.

This wonderful story by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld is about an exclamation mark struggling to fit in. Read it and learn just how important, and funny, punctuation can be.

Have you ever had writer’s block? Well, then you’ll love Abby Hanlon’s new book about Ralph; a struggling young writer who can’t think of anything to write.  His teacher tells him “stories are everywhere” and Ralph looks for them, even on the floor.  After reading this book to a few classes, I would recommend it to writers and aspiring writers of all ages.

Come check out the student display and these new books now!

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Ashley Spires visits South Slope!

Today we had the pleasure of hosting author and illustrator Ashley Spires.  The students have been reading her books in the library and in their classrooms.  We are all big fans and were excited to meet her.

She talked to the students about her creative process and where she gets her ideas.  Often her characters begin from drawings she just does for fun.  Sometimes they are inspired by feelings, real people or animals, like Binky the cat.  We also learned about the editing process and how hard she has to work to make everything work for her books.  For example, it takes one whole week to create one Binky page spread! Wow!

One of our favourite parts was when Ashley taught us how to draw her characters.  With Divisions 6, 7 and 19 she drew Binky.  And with Divisions 8, 9, 10 and 20 the students drew the penguin from Penguin and the Cupcake.

Don’t forget to come to the library and check out some of her fantastic books!

Have a great Spring Break!

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Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of a visit from Canadian author, Eric Walters. He spoke to divisions 3, 4 and 5 and then to divisions 1 and 2. We learned how Mr. Walters gets his ideas and how he really gets into his research. He traveled to Africa for his book, Alexandria of Africa, and encountered lions, elephants, deadly snakes and more. For his book, Tiger by the Tail, he found not one, but two tigers to promote his book and was bitten by one in the process. For his book, Between Heaven and Earth, he climbed Mt.
Kilimanjaro with his son. He also picked two of the “cool” dudes in the audience to demonstrate how he creates his characters.

For division 1 and 2, he spoke about his charity, The Creation of Hope, and how it partners with Kenyans to care for orphans and also works on community projects such as building wells. This was a great connection to the students’ current social studies unit on water. It was also incredibly inspiring.

What did you enjoy most about the presentation? What did it make you wonder and think about? Please leave your comments below.  And don’t forget to come to the library to check out a great book by Eric Walters!

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iPads in the Library

Students are beginning to use our iPads in a variety of ways. Last Thursday Division 3 used them in the library to read about author Eric Walters. They went to his site and had to report out about what they learned. Then they created a list of questions for his visit on March 11th.  Stay tuned to find out what happened at our visit with this fantastic author.

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150 nights of Reading February 20th

Wow!  150 nights of reading is almost here.  I can hardly believe it.  Please hand in your forms to the library beginning on Thursday and pick up your new 200 night forms.  Students who have completed their forms will be recognized at our Celebration of Learning Assembly on Feb. 28th at 2pm.

What have I read in my latest 50 nights of reading???

There are three books I read recently that are now in our school library.  I highly recommend them all.

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Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin is the companion book to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a Newbery Honor Book.  It is part mystery, part folk tale, part fantasy.  School Library Journal described it as “a work that is nothing short of enchanting”.  I recommend this book for students in grades 3-7.

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Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier is a fantasy, adventure that I couldn’t put down.  According to Quill and Quire, “Auxier’s novel contains plenty of scenes of the sort that make adults squirm with distaste while children wriggle with delight. Magic abounds, but is treated in a matter-of-fact manner, and the informal narrative style, reminiscent of Lemony Snicket, is entertaining”.  I would recommend this book to students in grades 4-7.

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Leisl and Po by Lauren Oliver is another fantasy, complete with ghosts, alchemy and a very wicked stepmother. I was transported to another world as I read this novel and hope that other readers join me.  This book would be a great read aloud by teachers or parents for grades 3 and up.  Older students who like ghost stories could read this on their own.

What have you read lately?  Share your great reads below or come and see me in the library and let me know what books you love.