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:

Click for more information on this title

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!!!!

Click for more information on this title

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!

Click for more information on this title

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

Click for more information on this title

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.

Product Details

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.

Click for more information on this title

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.

 

 

Red Cedar reviews and more!

This week the Red Cedar nominees will be released for check out to the intermediate students.  I asked the teachers if they would like to read them first, and many of them volunteered.

If you hover over the Red Cedar page at the top of the blog, you will see a list book titles.  F is for fiction, and NF is for nonfiction.  Click on one of this titles and and you will find a review of the book written by one of our teachers.  So far Mr. Brown, Mrs. March and I have submitted our reviews.  Keep your eyes out for more in the weeks to come!

We would love to hear what you think of these books, too.  Please leave your comments at the bottom of the book’s page and/or come see Mrs. Araujo about how to post your review.

 

Students have until April to read the books and then they will vote for their favourites!

Happy Reading!

And the winner is…

The votes are in! The Canadian Picture Book of the Year is Small Saul by Ashley Spires!

Click for more information on this title

Over the last several weeks. Divisions 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 read the five nominees for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award.  First they decided on criteria for a great picture book.  Then we read all 5 books during their library times.  Finally, they voted.  Stay tuned for some of the students’ comments about the books they read.

The other nominees were:

Click for more information on this title

Click for more information on this title

Click for more information on this title

Click for more information on this title

 

Gingerbread boy found in Library!

It was an exciting week at South Slope/BCSD!  Divisions 9 and 10 have been reading many versions of the Gingerbread man story and even made their own gingerbread boy.  On Tuesday they put him in the oven to bake, but when they returned to the kitchen he was gone!  They searched all over the school, but couldn’t find him.

On Wednesday morning when I came back to the library I noticed all the missing posters they had made and spoke to some of the students about their missing gingerbread boy.  Later that day I was shocked to see the gingerbread boy running through the library!  He was so frightened, but agreed to stay with me and not run away.  Divisions 9 and 10 were close on his heels when they arrived at the library.  I brought him out to see them and read the letter he had written to them.

After school, I took the gingerbread boy up to Grouse Mountain.  He will stay in the gingerbread village there until Santa’s reindeer, Dancer and Vixen, can bring him back to Gingerbread Land.

What an exciting week!

Thank you to Ms. Lawder for use of the photos of this memorable event.

Writers speak to kids

In Divison 5 the students have been very busy writing and editing stories. Last week they came to the library to watch a video interview from NBC Learn with children’s author, Mo Willems. The students noticed they had some connections with his writing process, but there were also some surprises.

Click here to check out the Mo Willems video and many more authors, too.