Welcome to the 2008/2009 school year! All of the librarians have been busy reading this summer. Have you?
Come on in and let us know your picks for the “must reads” of the season!
Summer Reading Tips
Summer reading shouldn’t be a chore. There are so many ways to make summer reading exciting and out of the ordinary. Use some of these tips to get your children revved up about reading!
1) Take it outside. There is no reason for reading to be an indoor activity. Pair up titles with locations! If you are reading Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly, by Alan Madison, why not give it a read in the park or the Botanic Garden, and go on a butterfly hunt? If you are reading From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konisburg, head on over to the Met, find a quiet spot and read!
2) How about a book club? Let your child invite one or two friends over. Have a choice of 3 or 4 books for them, and allow the children to make the selection. They can then meet over lemonade and cookies, and discuss (with or without some guiding questions) their books!
3) Summer reading at the public library. New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Borough Public Library all participate in New York State’s summer reading initiative. No matter what borough you are in, there are activities and book giveaways for you! Not in NYC for the summer? Check out your local library. Chances are they have a program.
4) A book swap! Gather the kids in your building, or friends from the neighborhood to share books over the summer. Do you have some Magic Treehouse, Warriors, or Babymouse sitting on the shelves? Chances are there are other kids close by just dying to read them!
Just remember, keep it fun! There are so many great books for children being published these days, you are sure to make a book – reader match!
Kids Advocate Against Censorship
Kidspeak is an organization that was created by kids in response to the banning of Harry Potter books in a Michigan School. The Lower School and Middle School librarians just hosted the high school Dangerous Language class in the 6th Avenue library space for a discussion on children’s books and censorship. Students are always surprised by the titles that land on banned book lists year after year. They are also amazed that book banning is alive and well in the United States. Head on over to Kidspeak and take a look!
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Hugo lives in the train station in Paris, and is the time-keeper. The only thing is, nobody knows. After his own clockmaker father died in a tragic fire, Hugo’s gruff Uncle pulled him out of school, and made Hugo his own time-keeper apprentice. Hugo’s uncle starts disappearing for longer and longer stretches of time, until one day, he doesn’t come home at all.
What can Hugo do, but continue setting the clocks, and living in Uncle’s tiny apartment in the station? He collects Uncle’s paycheques so that the Station Inspector is none-the-wiser to the situation.
Everything changes for Hugo when one day, while stealing a wind-up mouse from the toy booth, he is caught. The man who runs the toy booth threatens to call the Station Inspector and takes from Hugo the one thing that he has left from his father – his notebook with the illustrations of the automaton that his father found in the museum attic. The man who runs the toy booth, and Hugo, are connected in a way that neither could fathom. With twists and turns too intricate to describe, Selznik takes readers on a journey about history, cinema, and the meaning of family.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret looks like a daunting book. It is as thick as J.K Rowling’s works. The pages of Hugo, however, are filled with Selznick’s amazing illustrations that call to mind the work of Chris Van Allsburg. Part of the story is actually told through the illustrations, quickening the pace of reading considerably. A beautiful and enchanting story that is destined to become a classic.
**************
We were so pleased to see this title win the Caldecott award this year. This book is an example of how authors and illustrators are pushing the envelope regarding categorizing books! If you see your child reading this book, do yourself a favor and give it a read.
(Review copied from “Welcome to my Tweendom“)
It’s Awards Season
Book awards, that is.
This weekend in Philadelphia, the American Library Association will be presenting its annual children’s literature awards. The awards being presented on Monday, January 14 are:
John Newbery Medal
The Randolph Caldecott
Coretta Scott King Award
Andrew Carnegie Medal
Sibert Medal
Pura Belpré Award
Mildred L. Batchelder Award
Schneider Family Book Award
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
All of the award winners and honor books, will be listed on the American Library Webpage on Monday morning. Take a peek to find some great titles to share with your kids!
Series Characters
There’s something very comforting about jumping into a new adventure with a character you already know. Character familiarity makes a new book less intimidating and the act of reading itself more inviting. It’s one of the things that’s kept the Cat in the Hat and Curious George getting into trouble for as long as they have.
For younger readers, some books you may not have heard of with recurring characters in them are the Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems (of Knuffle Bunny fame), the Teeny Tiny Ghost books by Kay Winters and Pigsty, One Halloween Night and Lost and Found by Mark Teague.
We have copies of all of these on the library shelves, but they get snatched up pretty fast. Come have a look.
Book Week!
It’s hard to believe that Book Week is almost upon us!
Next week, fabulous authors will be in each Lower School classroom talking with your children about writing books. Our Lower School schedule is as follows:
Monday, December 3: Amy Guglielmo and Julie Appel in the 4s class
Marthe Joceyln in Dorothy and Deborah’s 1st grade class
Isabel Rose in Jamie and Bonnie’s 1st grade class
Mario Picayo in Gina and Emily’s 1st grade class
Ai-Ling Louie in Jackie and Dot’s 2nd grade class
Sally Cook in Tasha and Rebecca’s 2nd grade class
Wednesday December 5: Marthe Joceyln in Luise and Stacey’s Kindergarten
Eric Losh in Emily and Ana’s 3rd grade class
Roxane Orgill in Alison and Lisa’s 3rd grade class
Sarah Deming in Kate and Dave’s 4th grade class
Thursday, December 6: Jennifer Merz in Diane and Charles’ EK class
Monica Wellington in Lauren and Molly’s Kindergarten
Annette Perez in the Afterschool Reds
Friday, December 7: Bonnie Hiller is Gwen and Becka’s 4th grade class
Be sure to ask your child about the visit to the classroom! And remember that the book fair portion of Book Week begins Wednesday, December 5th after school!
Consider Dr. Seuss
Last week, in honor of Thanksgiving, I read the fours class Green Eggs and Ham. The good doctor plumbed sheer genius from a book composed entirely of one syllable words (excepting, of course, the single three syllable word, “anywhere”) Naturally, they had almost all heard it before, but that just pulled them in even harder. By the end, we were all reading it together, really. I’m sure you know Dr. Seuss as well as anyone, but I urge you to consider having another look, even for older kids who might not have latched onto the author’s sublime weirdness. Here are a few Dr. Seuss titles you may be less familiar with: I Had Trouble In Getting to Solla Sollew, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!, If I Ran the Circus; I Can Read with my Eyes Shut!
A Word Or Two About Graphic Novels
Kids cannot get enough of them — super-heroes, humor, mystery, adventure, and the non-fiction, too. Many parents, meanwhile, are still dubious of the form. In large part this must be due to the reputation of the graphic novel’s forbearer, the comic book, which was once thought of as being little good for anything more than lowbrow entertainment.
There are worthwhile reads in every genre within the form and as accomplished artists continue to explore the medium, more beautiful and artistically sophisticated works are added to the list every year. I urge you to have a look at some recent notable choices like the Babymouse series by Jennifer Holm or, as I will continue to proclaim from every mountaintop I can find, The Arrival by Shaun Tan (a contender for the greatest graphic novel ever).
You will find story-telling that, like in the best picture books, combines the visual and the written word in a way that engages the eye, the mind and the heart like nothing else.
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/graphicnovels.asp has more information on the subject.
Reader’s advisory
There are many ways that I learn about books. Word of mouth, professional journals, and browsing the bookstore are just a few. Lately, however, I have been turning to the world of online children’s book blogs. There are literally thousands out there, each with a different purpose and tone, and over this year, I would like to share some of these links with you.
This week many bloggers have been writing about “The Brown Bookshelf” This is a site made up of “a group of 5 authors and illustrators (Paula Chase-Hyman, Varian Johnson, Don Tate, Kelly Starling Lyons and Carl Sarratt), brought together for the collective goal of showcasing the best and brightest voices in African-American Children’s Literature with special emphasis on new authors and books that are flying under the radar.”
Diversity (and lack thereof) in children’s literature has always been an issue on the table. I am delighted to be able to visit the Brown Bookshelf to inform my own reading and find new titles for the shelves at LREI!