This week in the library...

5th Grade will be hearing a book talk on Christopher Paul Curtis's Bud, Not Buddy.

If you're interested in Christopher Paul Curtis or in his books, check out these videos:



A student-created book trailer for Bud, Not Buddy:




An interview with Christopher Paul Curtis:




Chapter 1 of Bud, Not Buddy:

This week in the library...

3rd and 4th graders will be reading Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, which tells the story of Henry "Box" Brown, who mailed himself to freedom!

Listen to Ellen Levine read part of her book and talk about it in this video:




Here's a great book trailer for Henry's Freedom Box:



Here's a short movie about the real Henry, including drawings from his time:

Black History Month Resources

Looking for information about Black History Month?

Check this out...

Black History Month

Tiger Time News for January 2011

Click below to listen to this month's news podcast!

A Book Commercial from Stephanie...

Stephanie recommends D.W. Thinks Big by Marc Brown! Here's what she has to say about it:

Why do you love your library?

It's almost February, which means it's almost time to celebrate Valentine's Day and all the people we love.

It's also a great time to think about why you love your library!

Come by the library to pick up a "What My Library Means to Me" card, and Mrs. G. will deliver it to our state legislators!

See Mrs. G. if you have questions!

This Week in the Library...

New Books!

The library has received several new books recently, and this week we'll be previewing some of our newest titles!

Here are just a few of our newest selections

	A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker Bear does not like birthdays. He doesn’t like parties or balloons, cards or candles. In fact, Bear does not like anything to do with birthdays at all. He would much rather spend his birthday alone cleaning his house, but Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, has other ideas.
	Humpty Dumpty Jr.: Hardboiled Detective by Nate Evans All kids have to go to school, even detectives' sidekicks. But Rat really doesn't want to. That is, until he finds out that he might be King Arthur reborn and gets invited to join Merlin's Institute for the Knowledge of Everything. But there is a problem. Princess Lily, Humpty and Rat's new friend, claims there is a ghost haunting the school. And not just any ghost one that eats magic! Can our three heroes banish the ghost from the school? Or will the ghost splatter and scramble Humpty and his friends?
	The Wickit Chronicles: Ice Road by Joan Lennon It's the harshest winter anyone can remember, and the vast waterways of the Fens are frozen solid, transformed into an Ice Road. The conditions are ideal for a surprise invasion by young King Arnald s banished uncle. Wickit Monastery is under threat too a bitter illness has struck down almost all the brothers, and a ghost walks across the snow. Can the orphan Pip and Perfect, the stone gargoyle, save the Brothers, their friend the King, and their country?
	Horse Crazy: The Royal Show by Alison Lester When Bonnie and Sam receive the invitation of their dreams to assist their riding teacher at the Royal Show they can't believe it! But on their way they encounter a starving pony that needs their help, and they must figure out a way to rescue the pony and help their teacher. The suspense will enthrall young readers as the two friends overcome a number of obstacles on their journey.
	Pirate School: Treasure Trouble by Brian James They've done it!!! The pirate kids have found buried treasure!!! Too bad Rotten Tooth was there to take it away, mumbling something about scallywags . . . But when all the pirates on the Sea Rat come down with a mysterious illness, the kids start to wonder if it could have something to do with their treasure. Could it be cursed?

Bluebonnet Voting

Friday, January 21st is Bluebonnet Voting Day! If you've read at least five of this year's Bluebonnet books, vote for your favorite by clicking here!

See Mrs. G. in the library if you need help!

Origami Yoda Sequel!

Tom Angleberger, author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, announced today that his next book, which comes out next fall, will be called Darth Paper Strikes Back!

Read more about the book and find instructions for folding an origami Darth on the author's blog.

You can also take a picture of your Darth and enter a contest to win a free copy of the book--before anyone else reads it!

Good luck, paper folders, and may the force be with you!

This week in the library...

All grades will be reading and discussing Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport.



Watch a video of the book being read aloud here:

For more information about Martin Luther King, Jr., check out these sites:

• Brain Pop's Martin Luther King, Jr. video
• Time For Kids: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Biography.com's Martin Luther King, Jr. page

This Week in the Library...

Fourth and Fifth graders are listening to excerpts from The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, a hilarious book about what happens when a group of students starts taking advice from a piece of paper! Click here for the Origami Yoda website! Here's a video from the book's author about how to make your own origami yoda:

Third graders are listening to Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, a collection of poems about nightfall in the forest. Here's a video which shows some of the book's illustrations:

These and many other new books have recently been added to the library. Come by to check them out!

Happy New Year! Some Reading Resolutions...

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011; it's going to be a great year for reading!

In honor of the new year, I've decided to make some New Year's Reading Resolutions--some goals for myself and what I'd like to accomplish in my reading life this year!

Reading Resolution #1: Read one picture book EVERY DAY!

Reading Resolution #2: Read AT LEAST 111 chapter books this year!

What are your reading goals this year?