In the month of April, we will celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), also known as Día. It's a day that celebrates children and books. Part of that celebration is honoring the many languages that are spoken in the world and especially within the families of our own community. The pictures above show some of the wonderful books that will be on display in the month of April. Some of them will be shared in our classrooms or may be brought home for family reading. These students are creating things at stations in our library media center. One is painting with water on a board. When it dries, the board will be clear and ready for someone else to make their mark. The typewriter is very popular. We just got a new book, The Typewriter by Bill Thomson. It's fun to read the book and then do a little typing. Kindergarten, first and second grade students have learned some of the songs written by Emily Arrow. She's a former music teacher who writes songs, many related to books, and she shares her videos online. She helps to make books even more fun. You can watch some of her videos too by going to her YouTube channel.
This year our K-5 students participated in Mock Awards. Grades K, 1, 3, and 5 evaluated picture books for the Caldecott Award. Grades 2 and 4 evaluated picture books for the Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator Awards. To do this, we learned about the awards and how books qualify. We learned about some of the books that had earned the awards in the past. We also read many excellent picture books before voting on our favorites. Sometimes students loved the books so much, they would draw pictures of them like this one of The Bear Ate Your Sandwich. Here are the results of our voting. 2nd Grade Mock Pura Belpré Author Winner The Sock Thief by Ana Crespo/Nana Gonzales (illus.) Author Honors Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina/Angela Dominguez (illus.) The Great and Mighty Nikko by Xavier Garza Maya's Blanket/ La manta de Maya by Monica Brown/David Díaz (illus.) Illustrator Winner The Great and Mighty Nikko by Xavier Garza Illustrator Honors Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina/Angela Dominguez (illus.) Maya's Blanket/ La manta de Maya by Monica Brown/David Díaz (illus.) Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle/Rafael López (illus.) 4th Grade Mock Pura Belpré Author Winner Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina/Angela Dominguez (illus.) Author Honors Finding the Music/En pos de la Musica by Jennifer Torres Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh Maya's Blanket/ La manta de Maya by Monica Brown/David Díaz (illus.) 4th Grade Mock Pura Belpré Illustrator Winner Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina/Angela Dominguez (illus.) Illustrator Honors Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh The Great and Mighty Nikko by Xavier Garza Finding the Music/En pos de la Musica by Jennifer Torres Mock Caldecott (Kindergarten, 1st and 3rd Grade) Winner Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman/Zachariah OHora (illus.) Honors The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julie Sarcone-Roach The Moon is Going to Addy's House by Ida Pearle Wait by Antoinette Portis 5th Grade Mock Caldecott
Winner Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick/Sophie Blackall (illus.) Honors The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julie Sarcone-Roach In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van My Pen by Christopher Myers
I read some fabulous books over the summer. I hope you did too. Here are some picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, and nonfiction books that were especially good. If you read a really amazing book this summer or even more than one, please share the title(s) in the comments section. Thanks!
There are many reasons to love our new Library Media Center. We have a lot more space and some fantastic new furniture. There are many wonderful spots to read. We have lots of different areas that allow for a variety of teaching and learning experiences. We also have lots of books! What do you like best about the new Library Media Center space?
We've had a few weeks to get used to our new space. The renovation has brought many changes and it will probably take us a while to completely settle in. If you are a student here, what are some of the things that you enjoy about the new building so far?
Just before school dismissed, we read the book A Fine Dessert (highlighted on the blog here). Students were encouraged to try the recipe this summer. One of our students took on the challenge and made this yummy dessert with the help of his canine friend. It took a week, but he collected enough blackberries in the woods. Your dessert looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the photos with us!
I found a great book store called Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis where you can read with animals. I got to read Stella Brings the Family. Do you see the cat watching the lizard in a cage? Next, I read The Lonely Typewriter with a chicken (he's a fluffy silkie). His name is Neil de Grasse Tyson. Does that sound familiar? Summer homework - find out who Neil de Grasse Tyson is in human form and let me know when school starts again. We stopped by Lake Harriet and did a little reading with Roller Girl a great new graphic novel. When you're reading this summer, have someone take a picture of you. Send it to me, Mrs. Brunelle, through email at brucr @ onalaskaschools.com. Then I'll post it here on the blog. Have a great summer!
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AuthorMrs. Brunelle and fourth and fifth grade students manage this blog. We are crazy about books! Categories |