What Have You Been Up To?

(Me and Marc Brown, creator/author of the Arthur series) 

You know what they say, time flies when you are having fun. Time also flies when you have a baby, move and start a new job. It almost makes you forget that you used to do things like write blog posts. Luckily, a snow day arrived giving me a chance to make soup, bake cookies, catch up on some TV AND sit down to write this!

What I love most about this blog is that it is evolves based on where my career has taken me. From Queens Library to the Central Synagogue and now to HANC Plainview, I have gone from the world of programs and major reader’s advisory to mastering the art of preschool readiness and engaging story times to reinventing the library space and curriculum in an elementary school.

When I first started considering the library curriculum and what one teaches elementary school kids I thought to myself “this is the most boring thing ever”. Seriously, Dictionaries? Encyclopedias? Atlases? All I could think about was the embarrassment my kids would have every week when their classes showed up and I had to give over information on how to use these giant books that are pretty much obsolete thanks to Google and Google Maps. So, in true Francie fashion, I have been trying to figure out ways of how to make Library cool again. Thanks to Pinterest (how did ANYONE survive without Pinterest? What did people do? Get creative themselves? Experiment??) I have truly gotten such inspiration and confidently show up to work with ideas (I think?) that are making my students understand how the library is structured and why reading is fun and books are awesome. I guess the next stage of this blog will be sharing some of my classroom ideas and of course I will continue to showcase the books I am adding to the school’s collection.

The first topic we tackled was the standard first lesson of what is in a library and how we treat books. The younger classes got a coloring page with all those rules they couldn’t read but hopefully understood based on the pictures. We then jumped into parts of a book. I was extremely pleased to see that everyone K-3 knew this and felt like they all learned something new when we talked about title pages. Since you are sleeping reading this, the game we played on this topic was surprisingly fun. Thanks to Pinterest, I made a dice and each part of the book was on one of the six sides. There were a bunch of books on the table and each child took a turn rolling the dice and had to choose a book and show us whatever they rolled (ex: author on the dice, read out loud the name of the author on a book on the table). As far as library lessons go, I felt pretty good leaving at the end of the day after this one.

My next major topic (which we are currently doing) is Fiction vs. Non-Fiction. I had a hard time figuring out how to excite 3^rd graders with this but I am pretty confident my “Fishin For Fiction” game will be a total hit (the Kindergarten loved it!) I made laminated fish labeled Fiction and Non-Fiction and put them in a fishbowl. With leveled appropriate books on the table (mix of fic and non-fic), children took turns “fishing” and whatever they fished they had to pick up a book from the table that matched. (Ex: fished a “Fiction” fish, pointed to an Elephant and Piggie book.) I love putting books in front of the kids because I believe it helps guide them when choosing books to take home. In the past, children took whatever they wanted, even if they couldn’t understand what they reading BUT could read the words (EX: a book about Matter for a Kindergartner who read the title correctly) and I am trying to change this to get the right books in the hands of the right readers.

We’ve been incorporating call numbers in the Fiction-Non-Fiction lesson to gear up for some Dewey Decimal instruction. Gear up from some relays and scavenger hunts in our little library! I hope you continue to read my posts and hear about my journey as a school librarian and that this gives you some ideas on how to spice up some of the less glamorous (but equally important) life skills you learn from the Library!

   

Latest and Greatest From Penguin!

(Me and Harlan Coben - check out his first picture book below!)

This past Thursday I had the opportunity to go to my son’s four year old nursery class and talk to the children about how books become books. From basic art and text to a folded and gathered copy and finally bound and ready for purchase, the children had a great time comparing a book in a flimsy state to a final hardcover copy. I showed them some up and coming picture books and easy readers and now I will share them with you too. Happy Reading!

New Board Books:

   

Corduroy’s Colors, Corduroy’s Numbers

I love that this series incorporates the concept being taught in a sentence. Whether Corduroy is playing in green grass or counting three pigs, it helps a child understand in context what they learning. There are so many objects on each page to help build vocabulary skills, from different flowers and fruits in the garden in Corduroy’s Colors to the many different farm animals in Corduroy’s Numbers.

New Non-Fiction:

 

Astrid Lindgren – Johanna Hurwitz

The newest addition to the Women of Our Time Series, Lindgren is most famous (to me) for being the author of the Pippi Longstocking series. I loved learning that the character started off as someone Lindgren made up in stories she told her daughter and after she was home bound after breaking her ankle she decided to write the stories down and send them to a publisher. What a fortuitous mishap for young children everywhere!

 

The Buzz on Insects – Gina Shaw

This Level 3 reader dives into the world of six legged, two antennae bugs that fill our world (for better or for worse). The photos of ants, caterpillars, ladybugs and others are vivid and beautiful (if also a little gross) and science terms are explained in the glossary on the last page.

 

The Moon – James Buckley Jr.

Ever wonder if the moon is really made of cheese or a man lives there? This Level 4 reader goes through the history of studying the moon from Galileo to Neil Armstrong and all the details discovered along the way.

 

Curious About Fossils – Kate Waters

Sometimes all you need is a picture of giant sloth poop to get kids excited about a science topic like fossils. In this book, you will learn about famous fossil collectors, dinosaurs, how fossils are handled and so much more. This book is perfect for dinosaur lovers who want to go beyond the types of dinosaurs that roamed the earth and a glossary in the back explains key concepts.  


Curious About Snow – Gina Shaw

Snowflakes have different shapes but they all have six sides. Billions of snowflakes fall in every snowstorm. An avalanche is a moving mass of snow that slides down a mountain. Want to learn more fun facts? Pick up a copy of this book, filled with amazing photos of snowflakes you did not know you needed to see.

 

Baby Orca - Mary Batten and Chris Rallis

I first learned about Orcas from the Disney show Octonauts. Baby Orcas are also known as killer whales and are the top predators in the ocean - even sharks are scared of them! Orcas come to life in this easy to read book that takes one on a journey from baby Orca to mother with beautiful photos and illustrations.

Easy Reader Fiction:

 

Get a Hit Mo – David A. Adler

A baseball book for reluctant sports fans in early elementary school, this book teaches the importance of perseverance and never giving up. Trying your best can end in a home run! This is a level 2 reader, perfect for children starting to read on their own.

Picture Books:

 

The Huey’s in What’s the Opposite? – Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers is a master at making concept books exciting for adults to read to their children. Of course the opposite of up is down, but every parent wants to share that the opposite of half full is half empty (with the exact same glass of juice). The illustrations of the lovable Hueys make this a fun read for all, and there is no better way to entertain a child than through entertaining their adult. This book is also available in board book format.

 

The Magical Fantastical Fridge – Harlan Coben

Every good mom displays her children’s artwork on their fridge, right? What better way for a boy to get out of setting the table for dinner than to “fall” right into his own drawings on the fridge and then has to use his imagination to get himself out. This books is definitely a fresh interpretation on the age old adage, “There’s no place like home”. While the illustrations aren’t really my style, they are loud and fun for an older child (kindergarten – first grade) who can understand the concept. Adult fans of Coben will be excited to expose one of their favorite authors with their children and prep them for his YA novel Shelter.

 

Snappsy the Alligator (did not ask to be in this book) – Julie Falatko

There is something hilarious about a protagonist talking back to the narration in a book. Poor Snappsy feels he needs to defend his actions and decisions and is pressured to make his story “less boring” even though he does not want to be a part of a story, he just wants to have a regular day. This is definitely a story parents will not mind reading over and over with their children.

 

Ten Kisses for Sophie – Rosemary Wells

Sophie fans rejoice! Sophie is back, this time helping her mother make chocolate kisses for dessert for a party. Sophie gets nervous there will not be enough for everyone but she luckily has the best grandmother to come and save the day! Your youngest readers will understand Sophie’s angst about maybe not getting the dessert they have been awaiting for days and learn a great lesson giving to others.

 

A Recipe for Bedtime – Peter Bently

Does this sound like a familiar night routine to you? Undress baby -> bath time -> pajamas -> milk -> bed -> kiss goodnight -> leave room -> come back to room -> sing baby to sleep. If this resonates with you, this is your new bedtime story for your little one. You are sure to love the illustrations and the rhyming text and any parent of a baby or toddler can relate to this book.

 

The Importance of Being 3 – Lindsay Ward

My two and half year old is convinced this book was written just for her. After all, she is about to be three and she is learning to draw letter and shapes, play independently in the playground and make friends. Throwing tantrums and spills are still guaranteed in three year old life, but the new adventures for a growing toddler are exciting and endless and this is a sure to be appreciated gift for any child turning three.

Little Bitty Friends – Elizabeth McPike

Simple rhyming text connects little children with the little critters in nature. Ants, baby rabbits, baby turtles, caterpillars and more all interact with young ones on the pages. This adorable story is an easy way to instill an early love of the great outdoors to the young ones in your life.

 

Super Jumbo – Fred Koehler

Being a super hero is not always easy, but someone has to look out for the neighborhood! Even though he always means to do the right thing, sometimes Super Jumbo’s helping hands go a little awry. There is no better book to inspire children to be the most super version of themselves than this adorable tale of a baby elephant wanting to better the world. This is an absolutely delightful book to read and share with children at home, at story time and in school settings.  

Middle Grade Fiction:

 

Jack and Louisa (Book 2) – Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead

Theater nerds rejoice - Jack and Louisa are back! (If you missed their first book, it is a must read for any fan of Broadway.) Act 2 takes us on a trip to the Big Apple and on a new adventure in how serious school plays really are. This is such a fun, fast-paced read whether you are a guy or a doll you will love the next installment of these two friends’ theater adventure.

TOYS! AMAZING STORIES BEHIND SOME GREAT INVENTIONS

Book: TOYS! Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions

Author: Don Wulffson

Illustrator: Laurie Keller

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Pages: 136

Grade Level: 4^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

There is so much more to History than exploration of the world and territorial wars that gets thrown aside during the school year. With the new “Common Core Standards” and push for children to read more nonfiction material, this is the best book on the market – the history of some of the most famous toys that every child will recognize. From Mr. Potato Head to Silly Putty, this book reads like a novel more than a textbook, and the illustrations are extremely entertaining.

There isn’t a single kid in the world that has never played with LEGO or has never heard of the Slinky. This book goes through twenty five popular children’s toys and games and discusses how they came to be. Every chapter is short and to the point and never feels like you are reading a history book, and the fun facts about each plaything at the end of every chapter are interesting and children will definitely be repeating to everyone what they have learned! Definitely would recommend for grades 4 and up, or for an adult to read along with a younger child.