It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Thanks to Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers for hosting this meme each week!  Please be sure to visit these awesome blogs for lots of great reading suggestions!

After finishing a very looooong adult book yesterday, I picked up something that's been on my "to read" list for quite a while. I've read The One and Only Ivan a few times now, and love it dearly, so I've been meaning to read this one for some time.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate tells the story of Kek, a Sudanese refugee who arrives in Minnesota having lost his parents and brother. I'm only 30 pages in, but I'm already enamored with the way Kek's innate joy leaks out of him, despite the difficulties he's been through.

What are you reading this week?

This Week in the Library...

This week, we're reading books about troublemakers!

Third grade is reading Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola.

When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.

Here is one of my favorite re-tellings of Strega Nona:

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Fourth grade is reading The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka.

This book is a spoof on the three little pigs story, this time told from the wolf’s point of view.

Be sure to check out Jon Scieszka's awesome website for more information about this and his other books!

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Fifth grade will be listening to a book talk about Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko.

You can read my review of Al Capone from 2011 here.

Also, be sure to check out the author's website for more information about Al Capone, Alcatraz, autism, and more!

Introducing #IYL (If You Likes)

Each Friday, starting today, I'll be posting an "If You Like..." poster of book suggestions.  Typically, I take a book that students have read together in class, or another popular title, and make recommendations that are similar.

Our third graders read Freckle Juice at the beginning of this school year, so our first #IYL of the school year is "If You Like Freckle Juice!"  Enjoy!

During the week of September 15th, Smithville Elementary celebrated Dot Day!  Our students listened to the story of The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.





Then, we created our very own dots and put them together for an amazing display!



Wow!  what an amazing way to "make our mark!"

This Week In the Library...

September 15th is International Dot Day--a day to celebrate creativity, courage, and collaboration.  Inspired by Peter H. Reynolds's The Dot, SES students will be thinking about how they'll make their mark this year!

Check back soon to see how we celebrated!

This Week in the Library...

This week, students will be learning about the Bluebonnet program.  Every year, the Texas Library Association chooses 20 books for the Bluebonnet reading list.  Any student who reads at least five of these can vote for their favorite on Bluebonnet voting day in January!

I'll be sharing these read alouds with the classes visiting the library this week:

Third Grade will be reading The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.

Fourth Grade will be reading Lester's Dreadful Sweaters by K.G. Campbell

Fifth Grade will be reading excerpts from Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Don't forget, these are just a few of this year's excellent Bluebonnet nominees!

You can find out more about this year's Bluebonnet Books by clicking here.

Have a great week!

Let's take a #shelfie!

Over the past week, SES students have been practicing library procedures (and having a little fun, too)!  Here are some awesome students who won the library review game in each of their classes!  As a reward, they got to take a #shelfie (a picture of themselves with some books) in the library.  Way to go, guys!

(I love how the Pigeon is photobombing this one!)