Grab Bag Thursday: Seuss Edition

This week's Grab Bag is a very special selection of SEuSstivities that Smithville Elementary students will have a chance to make tomorrow when we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday in the library!

Click on any of the activities below to download complete instructions with pictures!  Enjoy!

And click on the Patterns button below to download all of the patterns for all activities:

I can't, of course, take credit for these ideas!  Pinterest helped inspired all of these!  Check out the original ideas here:

Lorax Moustache Straws

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Puppet Printable

Thing 1 and Thing 2 People

Cat in the Hat Whiskers

Truffula Trees

And you can find MANY more Dr. Seuss ideas on my Dr. Seuss Pinterest Board.

Video of the Week: Cat in the Hat

It's only two more days till we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday here at SES!  Here's a video of The Cat in the Hat to help get you ready!

Our Library Has Been Seussified!

It looks like the Cat in the Hat has taken over our library this week!

A grove of truffula trees has sprung up in the computer area:

Two familiar faces are peeking in through the library windows:

Some wise words from Dr. Seuss have appeared on the bulletin board:

And these cool little guys have started hanging out on the library tables:

I can't wait to see what's in store for Dr. Seuss's birthday!

This Week in the Library...It's SEuSs Week!

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday, so we're celebrating his books all week!  Get in to the Seuss spirit by dressing up each day this week:

And for more Seuss fun, check out one of these fun sites:

• Seussville
• Dr. Seuss National Memorial
• The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!

And finally, to get this week off to a great start, here are 10 facts about Dr. Seuss books:

Source

Have a great week!

Thought of the Day

Since I missed my Grab Bag post yesterday, I'll combine it with today's post.  Here are five thoughts for today--in bookmark form--and they're all from Dr. Seuss.  (Click on the image to download the PDF.)

It's Dr. Seuss's birthday next week, and we'll be celebrating in lots of fun ways.  Stay tuned for more details, activities, and books related to Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day!

Book Talk Tuesday: Books About Lincoln

The 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was born on February 12th, 1809, and we celebrate his contributions to our nation each year in February on Presidents Day.  In honor of President Lincoln, here are some great books about the man under the stovepipe hat!

 

 Legend has it that a tall, thin ghost in a tall black hat wanders the halls of the White House every February 12th.  During an everyday tour, Quincy meets the ghost himself and fills him in on what's been going on since his death!

 

 The year is 1816. Abe is only seven years old, and his pal, Austin, is ten. Abe and Austin decide to journey down to Knob Creek. The water looks scary and deep, and Austin points out that they don’t know how to swim. Nevertheless, they decide to traverse it. I won’t tell you what happens, but let’s just say that our country wouldn’t be the same if Austin hadn’t been there to help his friend.

Tad and Willie Lincoln were mischievous pranksters who treated the White House as their personal playground. They tormented nearly everyone they encountered-except their doting father. Even when they demanded a full presidential pardon for their soldier doll, he was happy to oblige. For him, the boys were a welcome distraction from the looming Civil War. Based on true events, Mr. Lincoln's Boys reveals a playful side of one of history's greatest presidents.

 Are you ready for a presidential adventure?  Jack and Annie are! When the magic tree house whisks them back to Washington, D.C., in 1861, Jack can’t wait to meet Abraham Lincoln himself! But the new president is too busy to see them, as he is desperately trying to save a nation in crisis.

A description of the boyhood, marriage, and young professional life of Abraham Lincoln includes his presidential years and also reflects on the latest scholarly thoughts about our Civil War president. 

The sixteenth president's life from birth to assassination.

And, okay, this one's not really about Lincoln, but it's so funny that I had to include it!

 Benjy has an unusual problem. He looks just like Abraham Lincoln-right down to the wart and beard. Needless to say, his life isn't easy. He gets gifts of Lincoln Logs and stovepipe hats on every birthday. He gets stuck playing Lincoln in every school play-whether he's part of the story or not. And the teasing is unrelenting. When school ends he plans on spending another summer sitting inside alone, but his parents have a surprise. They're sending him to Camp What-cha-ma-call-it-The Camp for Kids Who Look Like Things! Benjy learns that he's not unusual-he's unique! And when he realizes what's special about himself, it doesn't take long for others to realize it as well.

This week in the library...

Did you know that February is Children's Dental Health Month?  To celebrate, we'll be reading stories that will really make you smile!

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Third grade will be reading Arthur's Tooth by Marc Brown.

Arthur's whole class has started losing their teeth-but not Arthur. His loose tooth wiggles but won't come out. Everyone seems to think they have the best solution. But none of their ideas work! Will he be stuck with his tooth forever?

Click on the book cover to view a video of Arthur's Tooth being read aloud! 

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Fourth grade will be reading The Tooth Mouse by Susan Hood.

Did you know that in France the tooth fairy doesn't leave money under children's pillows?  A mouse does it instead--the Tooth Mouse!

Click here to find out what one class learned about tooth traditions around the world.

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Fifth grade will be listening to a book talk about Smile by Raina Telgemeier.

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Click here to visit the Smile website where you can create your own Smile comic and watch a Smile video!

Thought of the Day

President's Day is coming up Monday, so here's an inspiring thought from Abraham Lincoln...

Thought of the Day (Bonus Valentine's Quote!)

So, it's a day early, and I will, of course, share another Thought of the Day tomorrow, but I couldn't resist this line from one of my favorite poets...

 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Grab Bag: Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  Here are some fun printable bookmarks to help you show your love for books!  Click on each picture below to download and print.  Happy reading!

From: Positively Splendid

From:  Living Locurto

From:  Good Life Eats

Video of the Week: 2013 Texas Bluebonnet Winner

Last week, the results of the Texas Bluebonnet Award Vote were announced.  To find out which book won, watch the video below:

Book Talk Tuesday: Valentine's Edition

Looking for some great Valentine's books?  Check one of these out from our library:

Arthur's wrong guess about the identity of the secret admirer sending him valentine messages leads to teasing by the other children, but clues in additional messages allow him to get his due.

 An ardent suitor tries various means of communication, from smoke signals to Morse code to skywriting, in order to get his message to his Valentine.

When Valentine's Day rolls around, Willie wonders if the valentine she received from Travis is the only valentine the third-grade Romeo sent out.

When she receives a valentine from a secret admirer, Louanne Pig tries to find out who sent it.

Valentine's Day is Babymouse's favorite holiday, but this year there's going to be a dance and Babymouse is desperate to find a date for it.









When Junie B. Jones receives a "valentime," she tries to find out who in her kindergarten class is her secret admirer.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, Greg desperately searches for a date for the school date. Although he manages to find someone to go with, his best friend is left on the sidelines, setting the stage for a humorous and unexpected turn of events.

While Nancy and her best friends, Bess and George, are making stuffed animals, someone slips a mean valentine into Bess' animal's pocket; Nancy must investigate the problem and repair the friendships.

This Week in the Library...

This week, in honor of Valentine's Day, we'll be sharing books about friendship and kindness.  So, grab a friend, grab one of these great books, and enjoy!

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One day, a boy and a robot meet in the woods. They play. They have fun.

But when Bot gets switched off, Boy thinks he's sick. The usual remedies—applesauce, reading a story—don't help, so Boy tucks the sick Bot in, then falls asleep.

Bot is worried when he powers on and finds his friend powered off. He takes Boy home with him and tries all his remedies: oil, reading an instruction manual. Nothing revives the malfunctioning Boy! Can the Inventor help fix him?

Using the perfect blend of sweetness and humor, this story of an adorable duo will win the hearts of the very youngest readers.

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Meet Bink and Gollie, two precocious little girls — one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible. Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. No matter where their roller skates take them, at the end of the day they will always be the very best of friends.

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In spring, when City Dog runs free in the country for the first time, he spots Country Frog sitting on a rock, waiting for a friend. "You'll do," Frog says, and together they play Country Frog games. In summer, they meet again and play City Dog games. Through the seasons, whenever City Dog visits the country he runs straight for Country Frog's rock. In winter, things change for City Dog and Country Frog. Come spring, friendship blooms again, a little different this time.

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The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hide quickly, Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other.

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The inspiring true story of two great friends, a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-yr-old giant tortoise named Mzee (Mm-ZAY). When Owen was stranded after the Dec 2004 tsunami, villagers in Kenya worked tirelessly to rescue him. Then, to everyone's amazement, the orphan hippo and the elderly tortoise adopted each other. Now they are inseparable, swimming, eating, and playing together. Adorable photos e-mailed from friend to friend quickly made them worldwide celebrities. Here is a joyous reminder that in times of trouble, friendship is stronger than the differences that too often pull us apart.

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 Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school—but no one knows it. Most people—her teachers and doctors included—don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write. Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind—that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it.

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Meet the Souls - "Noah," who quite by accident was best man at the wedding of Ethan's grandmother and Nadia's grandfather

- "Nadia," a hybrid with a halo of red hair, a dog that's a genius, and a fondness for baby turtles

- "Ethan," the silent second son of one of Epiphany's oldest families, who discovers he likes halos

- "Julian," the strangest person on the school bus, who starts everything by inviting the others to a tea party

How did Mrs. Olinski, returning to teaching ten years after being paralyzed in an automobile accident, choose these four to be her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? And how did this unlikely foursome become even unlikelier champions, in far more than just the state middle school competition? "The View From Saturday" is a rich and rewarding journey that answers these questions and raises many more.

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August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?