All this week, vote for your favourite YRCA Book.    The nominees for this year are:

JUNIOR DIVISION BOOKS

13 Treasures – Michelle Harrison                                                                                            Big Nate: In a Class by Himself – Lincoln Peirce
Fatty Legs: A True Story – Christy Jordan-Fenton
Lone Wolf – Kathryn Lasky
The Lost Hero – Rick Riordan
The Mysterious Howling – Maryrose Wood
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda – Tom Angleberger
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer – John Grisham

 INTERMEDIATE  DIVISION BOOKS

As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth – Lynne Rae Perkins
The Cardturner – Louis Sachar
Halo – Alexandra Adornetto
Heist Society – Ally Carter
The Red Pyramid – Rick Riordan
The Second Trial – Rosemarie Boll
Smile – Raina Telgemeier
Sorta Like a Rock Star: A Novel – Matthew Quick

 The deadline for voting is Tuesday, April 9th.  Vote here online!  Tell us about your favourite YRCA book!  My favourite book is THE CARDTURNER by LOUIS SACHAR.

On Tuesday, March 12th, Eric Walters visited Westridge.   All students had an opporunity to hear Eric Walters speak.    It was an engaging and entertaining experience.   I would like to thank the PAC Executive for funding this opportunity!  Thank you for supporting literacy in our school!

My favourite Eric Walters book is “Run”.   I really like how Walters combined fiction and nonfiction by adding real details about Terry Fox’s “Marathon of Hope”.    Did you know that Eric Walters donates all of his royalties from this fantastic book to the Terry Fox Foundation?   Click on the book cover to read a full description of this book. 

What is your favourite Eric Walters book?  Why?  Write a review here.

Intermediate Students: post your graffiti wall posts here!  Tell us the following:

1. The Title of the Book and Author

2. What the book is about (3-4 sentences)

Why you recommend this book to others (3-4 sentences)

3. What you rate the book out of 5 stars.

Do this for every 25 nights of reading and you will be entered to win prizes!

Check out the website, “The Top 100 Childrens’ Books of All Time“.  These books are sure to entertain and to help develop of love of reading in your child.  Some are also sure to summon up memories of your own childhood.   My favourite of late is Not a Box by Antoinette Portis.   Read the review here:

http://childrensbooksguide.com/reviews/not-a-box-by-antoinette-portis

Announcing:

 Literacy Week – January 21^st-25^th at École Westridge!!

READING IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!

During literacy week 2015, there will be a host of exciting events to recognize and celebrate literacy in our school community.    To plan for this week, here are some ways you can contribute to make it an exciting and successful week:

• Donate books. Please bring in any children books (K-7) that you can for our annual Book Bonanza (book swap).  Please note that we are in particular need of primary books. Please also note that donated books should be in relatively good condition.
• Encourage your child to dress up on Friday, January 25th as his/her favourite storybook character.
• Volunteer to be a guest reader in your child’s classroom.    Students will enjoy and benefit from hearing your favourite childhood stories.   Coordinate a time with your child’s teacher.
• Complete the home reading bingo with your child for the month of January (bingo cards will be sent out Tuesday, January 15th and should be returned to the library by January 31^st).
• Encourage your child to write and submit a story or poem for the annual Burnaby Writing Contest: Words.   For complete contest details, please click on “Burnaby Writing Contest” on my library blog at: http://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/westridge-library/.  Please note that poems or stories should be submitted to your child’s teacher on or before February 8^th in order to be considered for entry.
• Celebrate Family Literacy Day (January 27^th).  Go to the library, read a book or the newspaper together, exchange family histories or play a favourite board game.   For more ideas, check out http://abclifeliteracy.ca/fld/15-minutes-of-fun.

For more details about literacy week or to find out more about how you can contribute to this event-filled week, please contact me at Brenda.Papapanagiotou@sd41.bc.ca.

Thank you!

Brenda Papapanagiotou

Teacher-librarian – École Westridge