MSBA Kick-Off: Rah! Rah! Read!

Today was one of those days that renews my teaching energy!  Our school's Literacy Team hosted our annual Maine Student Book Award Kick-Off Assembly for staff and students. It is seriously one of my MOST favorite days of the school year! What could be more fun than a 45 minute pep rally type assembly whose sole purpose to celebrate READING?  This is the official kick off of our participation in Maine's highly respected student choice reading program. Students and staff enjoyed entertaining book talks by fellow students, teachers, and even some surprise book characters. They saw student created book trailers! With the help of some eager students, our school's librarian, Patty Remillard, McArthur Public Library's Children's Librarian, Deanna Gouzie and I led the entire school in the MSBA Cheer! Everyone received an MSBA bookmark and best of all...students were excited about BOOKS and READING! Love!  It was a fun time for sure...take a look!

 

McArthur Public Library's Children's Librarian Deanna Gouzie explains how the Maine Student Book Award program works!

 

Jack from Jennifer Jacobson's Small as an Elephant woke up to find a captive audience ready to hear his story!

 

Liesl (from Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver) was the only one who could actually see Po during her book talk...but trust me...students were searching high and low to find where the mysterious voice was coming from!

 

 

Marie Antoinette shares true, really gross facts from How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg.

 

Jeremy and Slade from Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets by Eric Luper  brought down the house with their guest appearance!

 

 

I think you'll agree that I am very fortunate to work with some highly dedicated educators who willing go beyond the call of duty to promote reading as a fun and enjoyable experience! A huge thank you to Shawn Anton, Marianne Collins, Matt Desenberg, Deanna Gouzie, Cheryl Legendre, Sharon McGovern, Patty Remillard, and Meghan Schrader for always jumping onto my idea bandwagons and giving 110%.  I also have to thank our school's principal, Debra Kenney for allowing the Literacy Team the time to put on these types of literacy events for our school!

 

 

The excitement was palpable!

The Maine Student Book Award program allows students to read, evaluate, and then vote on their favorite book on the MSBA list. This list is created by Maine librarians and teachers and contains published children’s and YA books from the previous year. Students must read at least 3 books from the list in order to be eligible to vote in March 2013.The Maine Student Book Award is a joint project of Maine Library Association, Maine Association of School Librarians and the Maine Reading Association. 

How Well Read Are You-Children's Books Edition

You might have seen the BBC meme Book List Challenge on Facebook before.  Many of my friends expressed surprise when they found out I had only read 10 of the 100 books on the list.  How could this be? I'm known as a voracious reader with a towering pile of books and recommendations.  Well, like Moxy Maxwell, I love to read.  But I like to read what I want to read...not what someone tells me have to read.  Today Cyndi over at Dog-Eared and Bookmarked posted a fun Children's Literature edition using TeachersFirst.com's 100 Best Books for Kids List.  So, let me redeem myself!  The books I have read are marked in purple.  Let's see how I make out on THIS list...

Books for All Ages

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Books for Preschoolers
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney


Books for Children Ages 4-8
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

Books for Children Ages 9-12
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (I'm reading this one right now!)
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story by Roald Dahl
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis


Books for Young Adults

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare


Now 65 is more like it!  I feel pretty good that several of the ones I haven't read are on my "Books I Should Have Read in School" shelf on Goodreads. Thanks to Cyndi for the fun and for allowing me to share this great idea with my readers.  

So how many books on this list have you read?  What book (or books) were your favorites?  What book do you think is missing?  Leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 7, 2011 and one lucky commenter will receive a book from me!   Be sure to include your email so I can contact the winner!

Happy Reading!

#bookaday Wrap Up

I love my job but I have to admit I also loved every day of my Christmas vacation.  I took a true vacation from school.  I think this is the first time in my teaching career I didn't step foot in the building over the break.  Participating in Donalyn Miller's (@donalynbooks) Book-a-Day challenge was one of the highlights of my break. The other highlight was spending time with my family as well my dear friend, Ksenia, who was visiting from Russia. So, while I didn't make it through all the books in my piles, I did manage a nice BALANCE, and isn't that what we are all trying to achieve?

My #bookaday reads included:
Middle Grade Novels

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

What a beautiful book! Told from 12 year old Lanesha's perspective, this book captures the anxiety and fear that Gulf Coast residents must have felt during Hurricane Katrina, without resorting to overly graphic details, or laying blame for the horrific flooding that resulted. The winner of Allen Country Public Library's Mock Newbery Award, I'm surprised it's not getting more Newbery "chatter".

Penny Dreadful by Laurel Synder

This a delightful story of a rich, bored little girl who makes a wish that changes everything for her family. I loved all the mentions of other books that Penny reads, wishing her life was more like them!  With appeal to both girls and boys, I think this book would make a great read aloud!

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Giwitz

When are heads are chopped of in the first chapter, kids can't help but be hooked!  This book continues to deliver blood and guts...all the way to the end...and boys especially are going to love it!   It was dark and gory with the perfect amount of humor. I love how snarky the author was and how he broke that wall between the reader and the book so often, without being annoying. His comments alone make this book stand out!

 

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

Although I missed Isabel (she is mostly in the background in this second book of a trilogy), I did cheer for Curzon as he ran for his freedom, fought at Valley Forge, and continued to navigate prejudice/racism. I loved the perspective of an African-American slave fighting for American freedom, and finding friendship and acceptance among his fellow soldiers. I look forward to the third book, in which I hope Isabel will be reunited with her sister Ruth. 

Picture Books
*indicates my favorites

Lost Boy: The Story of the Man Who Created Peter Pan by Jane Yolen (illus. Steve Adams)

Soar, Elinor! by Tami Lewis Brown (illus. Francois Roca)

*The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Suzy) by Barbara Kerley (illus. Edwin Fotheringham)

*Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan (illus. Brian Folca)

The Christmas Giant by Steve Light

*Switching on the Moon by Jane Yolen & Andrew Fusek Peters (illus. G. Brian Karas)

Tell the Truth B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

*The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

Disappearing Desmond by Anna Alter

*Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum by Meghan McCarthy

But I Wanted a Baby Brother by Kate Feiffer (illus. Diane Goode)

Kylie made it through her entire pile...twice!  Her favorite book from her #bookday pile was The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee!  To quote her, "Auntie, Marla just cracks me up!"  I have to agree!



Beautifully illustrated biography!



A pack of bubble gum will be needed after reading this informational book aloud!

Another great read aloud!

Biography of Mark Twain using excerpt from his daughter Suzy writing.

A wonderful collection of bedtime poems, perfect for any child's bedtime routine.

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day~December 4th

Not long ago, Jenny Milchman from Montclair, New Jersey, had one of those wouldn’t-it-be-nice ideas: What if there was a day called Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day?  Instead of letting it go the way of most daydreams, Milchman got busy turning it into a reality. She chose a day: the first Saturday in December. She enlisted her husband’s help in making a poster, which she posted on her website. She wrote about it on her blog Suspense Your Disbelief.   She told everyone she knew and the idea took off!  And so today, December 4, 2010 is the very first Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day.

I just LOVE this idea! What a wonderful gift for a child -- to be introduced to the joy of book owning and to the special thrill of being surrounded by books, any one of which might become a lifelong friend. Many bookstores across the country are celebrating this inaugural event by offering special event and discounts.  My family is making it a complete event by going out for dinner and then going book shopping after.  I can't wait to see what everyone picks out.  Here are a few I'll be looking for: