Books are Meant for Sharing

One of my big goals for our library this year is to talk about books and reading more... to become more of a community of readers. That is not just me, the librarian, talking about books, but the students and teachers talking and sharing about books as well.

During the first week of school when the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders came to the library for the first time, I started by reading Hooray for Books! by Brian Won.

This book was perfect because turtle had shared his favorite book with zebra and when he went back to zebra to ask for it back, zebra had liked the book so much he had loaned it to another animal who had loaned it to another animal and so on.  Which demonstrated my goal that books should not be kept a secret!  Books are meant to be shared and when we find a book we like, we should talk about it! I explained to the students about my goal for us to talk about books more and share books that we like with each other in different ways this year.  

I am excited about this goal this year and can't wait to see all the sharing of awesome books we do!

Kate Klise is Fabulous!

Yesterday, we had the honor of hosting author Kate Klise.  And I am here to say she is fabulous!  She is the author of the "43 Old Cemetery Road" series, "The Three-Ring Rascals" series and "Little Rabbit" books.

She presented 4 sessions for my school and had a different way of presenting story writing for K,1,2 and 3,4,5. My students couldn't wait to go back to class to put into practice what she showed them. She had the students mesmerized with stories of growing up and how she and her sister, Sarah, formed their author/illustrator partnership.  

Students even made up stories on the spot using the strategies that she taught them.  

I think the thing that I loved most about her was she is so personable with staff and students.  As the students came into the library, she talked to them about school and asked them questions and as they left she stopped as many as she could and asked, "So what's your story going to be about?".  I overheard one of the 4th graders later telling a friend about the story they were going to write because "that lady made it seem like I could do it!"

Oh... and she performs magic and not just the writing kind ;) 

Funny Friday: Like Student Like Teacher

Every librarian has probably gotten the questions, "Where are the 'good books'?" or "Do you have any 'good book'?" from their students.

But last night on Facebook, one of my TEACHERS posted "anyone have a good book to lend? I need something to read while my kids read each night!"  

My comment..."Ummmm, we have a whole library full of 'good books'!"

Now I know where the kids get it from ;)