What they're (really) reading: January 2016

photo by Toby Neal

By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature a few fiction and a few nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our elementary library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want.

This Month's Selections:

Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain
by Jarrett Krosoczka
Graphic Novel

The race is on for a new student council president, and the Breakfast Bunch is rallying for Hector! The competition is already heavy, but the race heats up when school security is at stake: student and staff high-tech gadgets are disappearing left and right. Whoever the culprit is, this is one stealthy thief--and the school is so busy with the election that he gets away with it every time.


I Scream, Ice Cream! A Book of Wordles
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Picture Book

The ever-surprising Amy Krouse Rosenthal unleashes her prolific wit in this silly and smart book of wordplay. Perfectly complemented by equally clever illustrations from the talented and internationally renowned Serge Bloch, this mind-bending book will have young readers thinking about words in an entirely new way!


Screaming With Laughter
by Michael Dahl
Nonfiction/Joke Book

Seriously...it's a joke book about ghosts and monsters. Need I say more?






Double Team
Amar'e Stoudemire
Chapter Book

Eleven-year-old Amar'e Stoudemire is doing well in the basketball tournaments he is entering with his two best friends, Deuce and Mike, but when some of the older and more skilled players want him on their teams, Amar'e realizes that elevating his own game will mean disappointing his friends. 



If You Plant a Seed 
by Kadir Nelson
Picture Book

With spare text and breathtaking oil paintings, If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit.





Amazing Football Records
by Paul Hoblin
Nonfiction

Presents records of amazing players, teams, and games in the sport of football, including a short history of the game. Large, attractive, captioned, color and black-and-white photographs and reproductions are surrounded by sidebars of trivia on each spread.

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Koala Hospital

Koala Hospital
by Suzi Eszterhas
Owlkids, October 13, 2015
Nonfiction

Summary:

Koala Hospital features a koala rescue center in Australia. It shows why koalas are in danger, how they come to be in the sanctuary, and the process of healing and rehabilitating koalas for return to the wild. Koala Hospital also focuses on the people who work at the rescue center and how they aid the animals. 

Why You'll Love It:

• Topic-specific spreads make it easy for kids to dip in and out of the book, but they will likely read it from cover to cover. Interesting facts are incorporated throughout, even in the back matter. For example, koalas are one of the few mammals besides primates that have fingerprints; and “the word 'koala’ comes from an old Aboriginal word meaning 'no drink.’” (Koalas get moisture from their meals of eucalyptus leaves. While the leaves are poisonous to most animals, “koalas have a special digestive system that can break down the toxins”—though they sleep eighteen hours a day to recover from this hard work!)
• Readers will enjoy learning about how hospital staff and volunteers care for the animals. For instance, a laundry basket creates a small space “like a nest that keeps koalas contained while making them feel safe,” and “a healthy joey will go to a human foster mother and live in her house full time.”
• The cute marsupials practically pop off the page. Each spread features at least two photos, one of which usually fills a full page or bleeds across the gutter. Many are close-ups, while others show koalas in the hospital setting, with their foster mothers, or in their natural environment. Some especially endearing images include a joey dribbling milk during a feeding, a koala cuddling with a stuffed likeness of itself, and a marsupial snoozing high among tree branches.

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 2-5...and here's the koala hospital's website!

What Else You Should Read:

• Nic Bishop Marsupials by Nic Bishop
• Dolphins of Shark Bay by Pamela S. Turner
• Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins

#BookCharacterDay

Just had to share these gems from yesterday at school!

The kindergarten team channeling Pete the Cat.

Our art teacher helped out too...

Camilla Cream!

 Then Harry showed up...that's me in the Slytherin hat. Represent.

What they're (really) reading: October 2015

photo by Toby Neal

By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature a few fiction and a few nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our elementary library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want.

This Month's Selections:

Never Smile at a Monkey
by Steve Jenkins
Informational Picture Book

An illustrated discussion of what not to do around various dangerous animals, with warnings about petting a platypus, touching a tang fish, or pulling a python's tail.

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum
by Meghan McCarthy
Informational Picture Book

Gum. It's been around for centuries—from the ancient Greeks to the American Indians, everyone's chewed it. But the best kind of gum—bubble gum!—wasn't invented until 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes.

Penguin and Pumpkin 
by Salina Yoon
Picture book

Curious about what fall is like in places that are not always white, Penguin and his friends go to a pumpkin farm and bring back a surprise for Penguin's brother, Pumpkin, who couldn't come with them.

Pumpkin Trouble
by Jan Thomas
Picture book

When Duck decides to make a jack-o-lantern, he and his friends Pig and Mouse are in for a scary adventure.






Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
Chapter book

Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

No Talking
by Andrew Clements
Chapter Book

The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest.

It's Book Fair Time!!

Yes, one and all. It's that time of year again. 

This spring's theme for our book fair is Under the Sea. We (meaning my art teacher, some students, two awesome PTO mommas, and our school bookkeeper) slapped this baby up in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Here's the result:

The kiddos really loved making fun sea creatures to add to our book fair decor this year. 

What they're (really) reading : March 2015

 photo by Toby Neal

By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature a few fiction and a few nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our elementary library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want.

This month's selections:

Aliens and Other Visitors by Ruth Owen

Readers will investigate the truth behind alien stories, exploring the fears and superstitions of different cultures and looking at the scientific facts that might explain the seemingly unexplainable.

Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures by Jim Arnosky

Describes giant prehistoric animals, discusses stories of mythical monsters such as dragons, and examines the possibility of the existence of Nessie, Big Foot, and other modern legends. 

Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech

Jack is studying poetry again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding of famous works and how they relate to his life. 

Freddie's Dog Walking Service by Jonathan Rand

Freddie and his friends get more than they bargained for when they decide to get rich by starting a dog-walking service. 

Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed by Eileen Christelow

The Five Little Monkeys cannot resist reading, even after Mama tells them it is time for bed.

My Perfect Wedding by Lisa Ann Marsoli

With the help of her fairy godmother and mice friends, Cinderella plans a beautiful wedding. 


What's popular at YOUR library? Share titles or photos in the comments below...

Top 10 Nonfiction Circulating Books...So Far

Blogger extraordinare Travis Jonker of 100 Scope Notes fame posts the top circulating books in each category every spring from his school library's collection. It's a great way to see what kids really want to read, not just what gets great reviews or what the adults THINK the kiddos should be reading.

I love to see what books are also popular here at our school library and sometimes I see one I don't have yet and really need to order. So, I thought I'd run some reports and see what's a hit halfway through the year here at my school and post it by category: nonfiction, chapter books, picture books, and graphic novels. Here goes!

 10. Pteranodon : the giant of the sky by David West

I love that this book made the list! It's a nonfiction picture book length book in a graphic novel format and my young ones love it.

 




9. Origami Birds and Butterflies by Lisa Miles

We are in the middle of an origami craze in the library. My free origami paper when you check out an origami book might have something to do with it...

8. Miami Heat by K.C. Kelley

Can't beat the basketball books. No brainer.

7. I Spy Extreme Challenger by Walter Wick

The I Spy books remain a perennial favorite. Definitely need to replace a few of our well-loved copies.

6. Lego Harry Potter: Building the Magical World by Elizabeth Dowsett

Although the Harry Potter books themselves are not moving off the shelves much these days, anything LEGO is HUGE!

5. Tennessee Titans by Tim Robinson

With the Titans playing about 45 minutes north of us, it's no surprise this book remains in pretty much constant circulation.

4. Minecraft Combat Handbook (and others in the series)

Frankly, I'm surprised this one isn't in the #1 slot! These books are never on the shelf, and the hold list for all the Minecraft titles is a mile long.

3. Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Strikingly True

Ahh Ripley's...the reluctant reader's best friend. I love it when a group is gathered around a table during checkout time and says, "Mrs. Counts! You've gotta come see this!" Books like these really highlight the communal side of reading and of sharing our reading experiences with others.

 2. Minecraft Essential Handbook

There you are again, Minecraft!

1. Ripley's Believe It Or Not 2014

Snakes in nose = genius.








Also check out the Chapter Book and Picture Book Top 10 Lists!

 

Long Time, No See

Well, it's been a year! There's no way I can catch you up on everything, so I'll hit the highlights.

We have a brand new media center! Check out the photos...

View of the picture book/fairy tales section.

Fun reading area by the front entrance to the library.

View of the library from the parking lot. (Like my massive dirt mound??)

No elementary library is complete without Skippyjon Jones.

We also celebrated Dot Day this year. My art teacher and I collaborated and co-taught classes all day. It was crazy, but very fun :)

I'll try to post more than once a year from now on!