But reading is not the only thing we have been doing. Doodle Buddy and Skitch are two apps we have been learning about and using in order to sharpen our library and information skills! One of the most popular activities has been to take pictures of "out-of-order" shelves and then use our apps to type out what is wrong with the shelves and illustrate details. Our media center promises to be in much better order with our newly trained "Shelf Sheriffs"!
We are looking forward to expanding our knowledge of apps as we move through October. Be sure to be asking your student what fun and exciting activities they are participating in:)
Our Scholastic Book Fair theme – All-Star Book Fair: Every Reader Is a Star! – is part of an exciting reading event that brings to school a wonderful selection of fun, engaging, and affordable books kids want to read. Giving kids access to good books and the opportunity to choose their own books will motivate them to read more. And like most acquired skills, the more kids practice reading, the better they’ll get. Reading is vital to every child’s success, and raising kids as readers means getting involved while they’re young. Now is the time. Since there will never be a substitute for a parent’s direct involvement in his/her child’s education, please make plans to visit our Book Fair. Hope to see you there!
Book Fair Dates: Monday, Nov. 5 through Friday, Nov. 9. Students and parents may visit the book fair every day from 8:15 - 4:00 except for Tuesday, Nov. 6 when school is not in session. Additionally, pack up the family and visit our book fair on Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 3:30 - 7:00 for our special Family Literacy Night. We will have contests, games, and many books to browse. I look forward to seeing all of our Miller families for this special event.
Many of you know that I am a loyal follower of the Nerdy Book Club website. Once again, they have posted a wonderful resource for both educators and families in relation to non-fiction book selections. With the adoption of the common core standards, we know that non-fiction books have a bigger and more important role in education. Here is an amazing Top Ten Non Fiction Picture Book list put together by Alyson Beecher:
"This year I wanted to increase the number of nonfiction books that I read. Along with The Nonfiction Detectives, I started the 2012 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge. By doing the challenge, I have kept the hunt for nonfiction books, especially picture books, in the forefront of my mind. As a result, I have found some amazing books, incredible illustrations, learned tons of new facts, and had a chance to advocate for books that may not always get the same kind of attention as a fiction picture book." (Alyson Beecher-October, 2012 "The Nerdy Book Club" website)
1. Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin
I feel like author/illustrator Jason Chin has grown and developed as an author since his first release, Redwoods. In his latest book, readers are taken from six million years ago to the present in the look at the history and evolution of the Galápagos Islands. Beautifully illustrated the pictures nearly pop from the page.
2. Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives by Gene Barretta
This is the third book that Barretta has done in the format of tying in the history of inventions with their present day connections. The format is readable with a touch of humor and lots of connections. I also loved the emphasis in the book about Edison’s belief that he learned from his failures as well as his successes.
3. The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins
You know it must be spring when you see a running theme of insects which is what I thought when I saw this book. However, if it is written by Steve Jenkins, I automatically read it. Steve Jenkins does fabulously creative books that are fascinating and well done. I learned more than I probably wanted to about beetles but it was a great read.
4. Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman
The often humorous, yet touching look at the life and habits of Lincoln, including his relationship with his wife, and how he stored notes in his hat, made this important president seem even more humble and significant. The illustrations also done by Kalman add to the feeling of the book, and I especially liked how she tied the story together at the end with the Lincoln Memorial.
5. Barnum’s Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World by Tracey Fern; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Named after the circus great – P.T. Barnum, Barnum Brown was destined to have an amazing impact on life and he certainly dead. With a self-proclaimed nose for searching out bones and a bit of an eccentric personality, Brown certainly did become famous as the first person to discover a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
6. Here Comes the Girl Scouts! by Shana Corey; Illustrated by Hadley Hooper
This book came out at the very beginning of 2012 and also in time for the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary. It also introduced me to the writing of Shana Corey. I love books that come together perfectly both in text and illustrations. This one does a great job on both levels. Lots of great information about the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low and also the end notes provide extra facts for readers to learn more.
7. UnBEElievables by Douglas Florian
When I first saw this book, I fell in love with it. My initial thought was how cool to mix poetry and nonfiction in the same book. Florian has a brilliant concept within the pages of this book. There are 14 poems about, and they are all very accessible for children (or for those adults who are still trying to figure out poetry). Though I really enjoyed the poetry, I was impressed with how each poem was accompanied by a corresponding “bee fact” about the same topic as the poem. There was even a few further reading suggestions at the end.
8. A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson; Illustrated by John Hendrix
Deborah Hopkinson has several books out this year and this early in the year release still came to mind which is what prompted me to add it to my list. A dramatized biography of the author, Charles Dickens as a boy. Really liked how Hopkinson helps young readers learn about the parts of Dickens’ life that likely contributed to the writings in his books. Additionally, Hendrix does a fabulous job with the illustrations.
9. There Goes Ted Williams by Matt Tavares
Not sure what baseball anniversary is being celebrated this year, but whatever it is has resulted in some wonderful picture books about all types of baseball players. This picture book biography of the great Ted Williams is exceptionally done in both text and illustrations by the very talented Matt Tavares. Still probably one of my favorite baseball picture books of the year.
10. Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor; Illustrated by Laura Beingessner
This picture book biography of this woman scientist and writer was the perfect introduction for younger readers. I alerted me to things about Carson’s life that I wasn’t aware of and also inspired me to want to read more about Rachel Carson.
Alyson Beecher is an educator and literacy advocate. In 2011, she co-founded Bridge to Books (www.bridgetobooks.org), a grassroots group that seeks to build collaborations between teachers/librarians/booksellers/publishers/authors/illustrators in order to connect children and teen to books. Currently, she sits on the Scholastic Book Fair Principal Advisory Board and the Schneider Family Book Award Jury.
Please contact me with any questions or issues--thank you for sharing your amazing children with me:)
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