Weekly Update

Due to a long break between now and the next class, I'll update today!

Kindergarten: We worked with an interactive story of The Gingerbread Boy.  Then we read Redbird at Rockefeller Center by Peter Maloney.  We watched a video about the REAL tree in Rockefeller Center and watched this year's annual tree lighting.

First Grade: The Reindeer Christmas by Mo Price was our read aloud story.  We worked on predicting and brainstormed what kind of animal we would choose to pull Santa's sleigh.

Second Grade: We are still working on our Nonfiction Lap Books.  We're getting closer to getting them completed!

Third Grade: We read The Fright Before Christmas by James Howe and worked on summarizing.

Fourth Grade: We began a library quest called Locked in the Library.

Fifth Grade: We looked at a websites about DHMO and discussed the validity of them.  Then we were introduced to the Pomegranate Phone!

Sixth Grade: We are continuing work on our AEA presentations.  Today was our first full work day and our projects are due at the end of the next class period.

All grade levels are invited to participate in a reading challenge over Winter Break.  Click here for more details!

Winter Break to Read

I am holding a “winter break to read” contest this year.  Each student is getting a blue bookmark on Friday (or sooner) to take home for Winter Break.  If they read 5 books and have it signed by a parent or guardian, they are entered into a drawing for a prize.  Some of the prizes include lunch in the library, an extra book checkout, a free pizza, reading time with Mrs. Loder or Mrs. Newgard, and lots of other great prizes.  I have introduced this to your students in library (or I will be this week) and I hope you’ll support this contest.  Each student may only turn in one bookmark but they can read ANY book! The bookmarks must be returned by Friday, January 5 to qualify.  Let me know if you or your students have questions.
Thank you!

If you lose your bookmark, you may print and return a new one.

© Mrs.Newgard, 2012

Weekly Update

Kindergarten: We read There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Lucille Collandro, then we used the Interactive Mimio Board to retell the story.  We also read Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh.

First Grade: Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas by Elise Primavera was our read aloud story.  We discussed what we thought might happen in the story (Prediction) and talked about whether or not we were correct.

Second Grade: We continued our work with our Nonfiction Lap Books.  We're hoping to have these completed by the end of the semester.  They're really helping us remember which text features are which.

Third Grade: Dewey Book Body helped us learn more about the different nonfiction sections in the library.  We use our body to help us remember which books go where.

Fourth Grade: Do You Know Dewey?: Exploring the Dewey Decimal System by Brian Cleary was our first read aloud of the year.  It's a simple book that helps us figure out what books are in which section of the nonfiction.  Next time we will begin a library quest called Locked in the Library.

Fifth Grade: We discussed our search engines and chose the ones we thought would be best for different scenarios.  We  found Kidsclick to be the best for research.  Best for searching is Kidsclick , Cybersleuth-kids, Kids.net.  Kids Yahoo, AOL Kids, Kids.net and Ask Kids were best for at home.  We enjoyed looking at each website!

Sixth Grade: We started a new project using the Iowa AEA Online Resources.  These subscription sites are provided to us free from the Iowa Area Education Agencies.  Our job is to create something (a presentation, a video, a website, etc.) to share with teachers about our site.  We want to share with teachers what the website offers, why it's useful for a teacher, and give an example of how it could be used in the classroom.  We hope to finish these by the end of the semester.

All grade levels are invited to participate in a reading challenge over Winter Break.  Click here for more details!

Weekly Update

Kindergarten: We read The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens.  The Mystery Box also returned with a dog, prairie dog, and a tennis ball inside.  We tried to see how those objects would fit into our story!  We had great predictions and the book was really funny!

First Grade: How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky was the book we enjoyed.  We talked about what job we want to have when we are an adult and what characteristics we already hold to be a good fit for that job.  We discussed the book and what characteristics Santa had before he got his job.  We also continued to work to find the right shelf when given a spine label.

Second Grade: We started a nonfiction text features project. We are making a lapbook using all of the different nonfiction text features we have learned about.  We are taking a nonfiction holiday book and using that as our guide.  We hope to finish it by January!

Third Grade: We're continuing to work on search and locate in the library.  We finished our scavenger hunts and maps of the library.  We discussed them, talked about different sections of the library and even practiced putting ourselves in alphabetical order.

Fourth Grade: The nonfiction section of the library is our current focus.  We're talking about the different sections and how the books are organized by categories.  We got to watch our favorite library video, the Dewey Rap!

Fifth Grade: There are a lot of different search engines out on the web.  We each evaluated one during class and we began discussing what each search engine is good at.  We're hoping to find one to recommend to students at Orchard Hill.

Sixth Grade: We chose a question and had to find the answer in two different websites.  We also looked through the website and gave it a score based on what information it provided for us. 

Weekly Update

With Conferences and Thanksgiving it's been awhile since our last update!

Kindergarten: Thanksgiving was our focus and we read a few different Thanksgiving books.  We worked a lot on predicting and summarizing.

First Grade: We read The Jolly Postman by Janet Ahlberg and discussed how books are organized in the library.  Then we were given a spine label sticky note and had to find the shelf or section that book would be in.  It was fun to travel around the Everybody books!

Second Grade:  We read Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet.  This is a biography about Tony Sarg, the man who created the balloons for the Macy's parade.  We created our own balloon designs for the parade!

Third Grade: We continued searching and locating books in the library.  Specifically, we used a blank library map to find the different sections.  We're hoping the map helps us find books faster!

Fourth Grade: We worked on a library scavenger hunt, using the computers, but also searching the library shelves.  In art, we're creating self-portraits of ourselves reading a book, so we also talked about book parts.

Fifth Grade: We discussed what we found for explorers and talked about the importance of verifying information we find online.  We should be able to find each fact in at least two different locations to make sure it is correct!

Sixth Grade: We continued to discuss websites and how to tell if they are good sites to use.  We discussed different ways to search too!

Overall, it was another successful week in the library!

Genre Challenge - November

Congratulations to Ms. Rindels' class for reading the most Nonfiction books in November!  It was a VERY close one this month, with ONE point being the deciding factor (yes, there was a recount :).  Her class will receive a popcorn party in library sometime in December!

December's genre is Realistic Fiction books.

All results (and whether the class increased or decreased between  October & November):

3M - 33 (-)

3R - 34 (+)

3S - 19 (-)

4C - 20 (-)

4H - 27 (+)

5G - 0 (-)

5P - 0 (=)

6H - 0 (=)

6S - 0 (=)

Weekly Update

Kindergarten: We made predictions this week using the Mystery Box.  Inside the box was a leaf, a mouse, and a pumpkin.  It was very interesting to hear the predictions that were made.  We read the book Mousekin's Golden House by Edna Miller and wrote about what else an old jack-o-lantern could be.

First Grade: We read Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban and discussed the importance of choosing different books in the library.  Although we have our favorites, we need to read a variety of books.  The students filled out a sheet about their "bread and jam book" and trying something new.  Hopefully, you saw a different type of book come home this week!

Second Grade:  We read Milly and the Macy's Parade by Shana Corey.  This is a historical fiction book about how the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was started.  We worked on our predicting skills throughout the book.  This is a skill also being taught in the classroom.

Third Grade: Our essential skill for second quarter is searching and locating books in the library.  We took a survey on our knowledge of the library catalog and started to explore what it can do.  We'll continue working on this to become experts at finding what we want.

Fourth Grade: Searching and locating books in the library is our skill too.  We reviewed where books are located in our library and how they are shelved.  We'll continue to work with the library catalog.

Fifth Grade: In Social Studies, explorers is the focus, so in library we're searching and locating information online about different explorers.  We took notes and discussed what we found.

Sixth Grade: The Northwest Pacific Tree Octopus was our focus this week.  We learned about this endangered creature, took notes, and discussed our findings as a class.  It was very informative!

Please check out the book fair over conferences.  It's a great way to support your students' literacy!

Scholastic Book Fair

Books are Gifts that Last a Lifetime


Hello from Mrs. Newgard,

It's Book Fair time at our school! I've created a classroom wish list to add new books to our school library. You can view my library wish list and purchase books from our school Book Fair website. These books will be treasured by students for years to come.

You can visit our online Book Fair anytime until 11/27/2012.  All books purchased will be shipped directly to me at school with no shipping charge. Thanks for getting our class excited about reading.

Your support is appreciated,

Mrs. Newgard

Scholastic Book Fairs inspire a lifetime love of reading. A percentage of the total proceeds raised during the Book Fair will stay with the school and help get more kids reading, kids reading more! Visit the Book Fair Web site for detailed information. 

Weekly Update

Kindergarten: We read Halloween inspired books this week.  We learned about the word prediction and how we can use that to be good readers.

First Grade: We finished our unit on looking for text-to-text connections.  This week we read Zoom Broom by Margie Palatini. We compared it with Piggie Pie, also by her, which we read last week.

Second Grade:  We continued with notetaking this week.  We read a book about pumpkins and took notes as a large group.

Third Grade: 3R and 3M worked on summarizing the book The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg.  3S didn't have class because of Museum School.  Congratulations to Mrs. Michael's class for winning the genre challenge for October!

Fourth Grade: We used Animoto to share our short video about the Wax Museum person.  They also started discussing the library and how to find things they need.  The videos can be found on the library website, Ms. Hewett's class and Mrs. Canady's class.

Fifth & Sixth Grade: We are finishing work on Digital Citizenship with an online program through CommonSense Media.  This week our focus was how to search using keywords.  We need to remember that fewer words sometimes make the best searches!

Overall, we have had a great first quarter!  Watch for overdue notices coming home over conferences!

Genre Challenge - October

Congratulations to Mrs. Michael's class for reading the most Mystery books in October!!  Apparently, 60 is the magic number as that's how many points Ms. Rindels' class had last month to win also!  Mrs. Michael's class will receive a popcorn party in library sometime in November!

November's genre is Informational (Nonfiction) books.

All results (and whether the class increased or decreased between September and October):

3M - 60 (+)

3R - 30 (-)

3S - 48 (+)

4C - 25 (+)

4H - 0 (-)

5G - 8 (-)

5P - 0 (-)

6H - 0 (-)

6S - 0 (-)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Mrs. Newgard and Mrs. Loder!

Mrs. Loder and Mrs. Newgard

inspired by: If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff

Thank You Target!

Target gave our school a $500 grant to use at First Books.  We were able to purchase MANY new books for the library.

All of the books we purchased with the grant.

As a bonus, employees came to our school and read or played games with our students.  Everyone had a great time!

Our local Target employees who came to visit!

Thank you Target for supporting our school and getting great books into the hands of our students!

Library Update

Kindergarten: Each class has earned The Shelf Elf Award by using quiet feet, quiet voices, a shelf marker, and putting books back the right way!  We're having a few problems finding safe places for our books and many are coming back damaged.  Please review this with your Kindergarten student so the library books are available for all students.  As Kindergarteners we have started looking at Halloween books and focusing on the different ways we can read stories.  We can read the words, read the pictures, retell the story, or read with someone!

First Grade: We continue looking for text-to-text connections as well as mapping out a story.  This week we read Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini.  It's a great story with a character we will see again next cycle.

Second Grade:  As we continue our work with nonfiction we started working on notetaking.  This cycle we read What is Halloween by Elaine Landau and took notes as a large group.  Next week we will read a book on pumpkins and take our own notes!

Third Grade: 3S worked on summarizing, 3R finished email etiquette and 3M didn't have a lesson this week due to Museum School.  These students are all battling hard for the Genre Challenge this month! 

Fourth Grade: We used Animoto to create a short video about their Wax Museum person.  The students really enjoy working with this program and are very excited for their Wax Museum presentation next week.

Fifth & Sixth Grade: As we continue to work on Digital Citizenship we continued working with an online program through CommonSense Media.  This week our focus was giving creative credit.  We need to remember that someone created each picture, song, or media we see online and we need to respect their work and their right to make a living.  Some classes used their library time to catch up on the past three lessons also.

Library Update

Kindergarten:  We continued to check out from the shelves.  We are still trying to earn The Shelf Elf Award by using quiet feet, quiet voices, a shelf marker, and putting books back the right way. At the start of each class time, we share the book we recently returned to show we're reading at home!  We also started to learn about fiction and nonfiction books using books featuring bears.

First Grade: As we complete our fractured fairy tales unit we read The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Wolf Who Cried Boy.  We compared and contrasted the two.  This correlates with text-to-text connections which are being taught in the classroom.  We also discussed fairy tales and what makes a fairy tale and where we find them in the library.

Second Grade:  Text features and nonfiction books are still our focus.  We spent time focusing on Table of Contents and Index this week.  We talked about how each are organized and how they help us find what we are looking for.

Third Grade: We continue to look at email and etiquette.  As this is most students' first experience with email we focus on everything they write being public and permanent.

Fourth Grade: As these students work on their Wax Museum project in their classroom we learned a new online program called Animoto.  Each student will use this tool to create a short video about their Wax Museum choice.

Fifth & Sixth Grade: As we continue to work on Digital Citizenship we continued working with an online program through CommonSense Media.  This week our focus was communication, focusing on cell phones and how they can be distracting.  We also talked a little about cell phone etiquette.

Library Update

Kindergarten:  We moved up to checking out from the shelves!  We are trying to earn The Shelf Elf Award by using quiet feet, quiet voices, a shelf marker, and putting books back the right way.  Each student brought home a sheet where we colored the books that were the correct way.  We're also reminding students that they can choose books to read the words, read the pictures, or retell a story.  At the start of each class time, we share the book we recently returned to show we're reading at home!

First Grade: As we continue with our fractured fairy tales unit we read Jack and the Beanstalk and Kate and the Beanstalk.  We compared and contrasted the two.  This correlates with text-to-text connections which are being taught in the classroom..

Second Grade:  Text features are still our focus.  We're looking at which features are seen most  often and what they do to help us in reading.

Third Grade: We are continuing with Gmail this week.  Our focus is on sending nice emails, email etiquette  and just practicing accessing our account.

Fourth Grade: This week we are continuing to work with technology and our biography reports.  We worked with Google Drive (the new GoogleDocs) and created folders for our Wax Museum project.

Fifth & Sixth Grade: As we continue to work on Digital Citizenship we continued working with an online program through CommonSense Media.  This week our focus was cyberbulling.  If you have a 5th or 6th grade student, ask him or her about an upstander, and what that person does in a bullying situation.

Genre Challenge - September

Congratulations to Ms. Rindels class for reading the most Fantasy books in September!!  This was the first month of the genre challenge.  It was QUITE the competition between classes and the best participation we have ever had!  Nice job!  Their class will receive a popcorn party in library sometime in October!
October's genre is Mystery/Suspense/Horror.
All results:
3M - 51
3R - 60
3S - 25
4C - 0
4H - 2
5G - 10
5P - 35
6H - 2
6S - 4

Library Update

Kindergarten:  We started checking out from a cart today.  Looking for books on a cart reminds us how to use a shelf marker and encourages us to put books back the right way.  We also read The Shelf Elf, which shows us how books on shelves in the library are supposed to look.  We also continued to share the books we checked out.

First Grade: We are continuing with our fractured fairy tales unit.  This week we read Cinderella and Cinder Elly.  Again, we compared and contrasted the two.  We also started a conversation about what makes a fractured fairy tale.

Second Grade:  We are continuing to work on text features in non-fiction.  We're working on finding them in non-fiction books on our own and sharing for what they are important.

Third Grade: We accessed our OWN accounts this week!  We used our own student ID numbers to access our computers.  We also accessed our Gmail accounts!  We're learning a lot with technology!

Fourth Grade: We also are working on using our Gmail accounts.  We logged into the computers and into our gmail accounts to share a document.  As we utilize these accounts, we are reminded that there are rules and consequences with everything we do, some a positive but some are negative.  We also started choosing biographies for our Wax Museum project which will be a collaboration between the 4th grade teachers and myself.

Fifth & Sixth Grade: As we continue to work on Digital Citizenship we started working with an online program through CommonSense Media.

Library Update

Kindergarten: We continued to checkout from the tables this week. We went on a bear hunt and a book hunt!  Also, all students are being asked about the book they checked out this week.  They either share the title or what the book was about.  Remember, we can read the pictures, read the words, or retell the story.

First Grade: We continue to work with "just right" books but also starting to learn about fractured fairy tales.  This week we focused on The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.  The students helped retell The Three Little Pigs then we compared and contrasted between it and The True Story...  They did a great job!

Second Grade:  Since we are still focusing on finding a "just right" book in non-fiction we are also learning about the different text features we can find in a non-fiction book.  These include, Table of Contents, Headings, Glossary, Index, photographs, and captions.

Third Grade: We focused our checkout on a "just right" book.  Then we filled out a sheet telling about the book, why we picked it, why we were reading it, what questions we had about it, and chose a page to try with the "5 finger rule."

Fourth Grade: We are continuing to focus on Internet Safety and what we can do to stay safe.

Fifth Grade: We are also continuing to focus on Internet Safety and making good choices online.

Sixth Grade: We focused on finding out about our digital footprint.  We even made our own footprint showing all that we do online.

Literacy Night

Thank you to all of the parents, students, and family members who attended Literacy Night.  We had a great time learning about Daily 5 in our classrooms.  Miss Shepard, Mrs. Switzer, and I had a good time sharing about our different reading programs in the gym.  I shared online resources which can be used at home along with having the students share the I PICK rap.  All students went home with a new book, a bookmark, and information about literacy at Orchard Hill.  If you missed it and would like the materials sent home, please contact me!

Library Update

Kindergarten: We got to check out books this week!  We're working on finding a safe place to store our book at home when we're not reading it.  We also talked about finding a book that we can read.  Reading in Kindergarten means reading the words, reading the pictures, or reading with someone!  We also added our 4th Kindergarten this week!  How exciting!

First Grade: We are still working on choosing "good fit books."  We practiced the I PICK rap again and talked more about the books we might choose.  We also read Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians!  Goldie Socks helps us figure out if a book is too hard, too easy, or just right!

Second Grade:  We also practiced the I PICK rap and continued to make sure one of the books we checked out was a good fit.  We are focusing on choosing a just right nonfiction book.  We love to read true books so it's time to figure out what fits us well!

Third Grade: We finished looking at the Acceptable Use Policy and what it means.  We practiced our I PICK rap so we're ready for Literacy Night (Sept. 17!).  We also started talking about good fit books and what that looks like for third graders.  We're starting to get into chapter books that have fewer pictures and more words.

Fourth Grade: After finishing up with the Acceptable Use Policy, we moved onto Internet Safety and what that means in our grade level.

Fifth Grade: We also finished looking at the Acceptable Use Policy and moved into Internet Safety.  We watched a video about CyberEthics.

Sixth Grade: After looking at the Acceptable Use Policy and talking about the rules, we continued a conversation about Internet Safety as well.  We watched a video about leaving Digital Footprints behind.

As you can see K-3 are focusing this quarter on choosing a good fit book and grades 4-6 are focusing on Digital Citizenship.  Both of these skills are "Essential Skills" the elementary librarians in the district have chosen to work on this year.  These are skills we have established during our Collaborative Team Times on Wednesday afternoons.  If you're interested in hearing more about the work we do, feel free to contact me.

New Books!

Each year when we return in the fall it feels like a library birthday!  We get a large order of books over the summer and it's so much fun to put them all out for the students and staff.  This year I thought it'd be fun to share the new book list with our blog readers.  We hope this peaks your curiosity and you come visit the library!  Enjoy!

September Genre Challenge

It's time for the Genre Challenge again this year!
Each month a genre will be chosen. Students who read a book (at their level) in that genre can fill out a form and give their class one point for the book and one point for participating that month.  Each additional book the student reads is another point.  The class with the most points at the end of the month receives a popcorn party.  Each month the points will be reset and a new genre will be chosen.

September's genre is Fantasy

I hope to have a lot of students try new kinds of books and participate in the challenge.
A copy of the form is below.

 Image:© Mrs. Newgard

Library Update

Each time we finish a library cycle I'm going to write a quick update on what's going on with each grade level.  This will provide you with a quick overview of what your child is learning in the library!

Kindergarten: We took a library "safari" and checked out all the different aspects of the library.  We also looked at some damaged books and talked about book care.  We're hoping to checkout books next time they visit!

First Grade: Our grade level worked on choosing "good fit books."  We practiced the I PICK rap we learned last year and talked about the different kinds of books we might choose.  We also read Stella Louella's Runaway Book!

Second Grade:  We read Miss Smith Reads Again (which is a sequel book to one read in the classroom).  We also practiced the I PICK rap and made sure one of the books we checked out was a good fit.  Did we do a good job?

Third Grade: This is the first year students get access to their email accounts.  To prepare we're looking at the Acceptable Use Policy and what it means.  We also checked out books!

Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade: Before getting on computers this year we also looked at the Acceptable Use Policy and talked about what the rules are.  We started a conversation about Internet Safety as well.

We are looking forward to learning more in the weeks to come!

First Week!

Well we have gotten off to a great start in the library.  We saw all of the classes and had successful checkouts!  Kindergarten is learning about the library and the rules we follow when we're there.  They met my friend the Library Lion who will watch over them during the next few weeks.  First and second grade reviewed the rules of the library and are starting to work on finding Good Fit books!  This ties into the Daily 5 they work on in the classroom.  Third through sixth grade also did some library review and we learned about each other as readers.  They will start to work on digital citizenship which is our essential skill for the first quarter.  We are starting out strong in the library and I'm looking forward to keeping the readers updated on what's new!

First Day of School!

I hope everyone had a great first day of school!  It was wonderful to see all the smiling faces.  I hope everyone had a great summer too!  We got right to work in library today, reviewing the library rule, and even checking out books!  The class schedule is as follows.  I hope it helps you remember when to send your books back!

Day 1 - Mrs. Shaw (3)
Day 2 - Mr. Grafenberg (5), Mr. Halvorson (6), and Mrs. Terwilliger (K)
Day 3 - Ms. Rindels (3), Mrs. Winkowitsch (2), Ms. Shook (1), and Mrs. Halvorson (K)
Day 4 - Mrs. Penberthy (5), Ms. Hewett (4), and Mrs. Watters (1)
Day 5 - Mrs. Michael (3), Ms. Schatzberg (2), Mrs. Bobeldyk (1), and Mrs. Graham (K)
Day 6 - Mrs. Schwab (6), Mrs. Canady (4), and Mrs. Balthazor (2)

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to call or email me!
Mrs. Newgard

Missing Books

Do you still have a book overdue from our library?  If so, you'll be getting a postcard from me this week that looks similar to this.  It'll have a picture of the book you have overdue with the title and author.  I hope this helps you find it.

© Mrs. Newgard, 2012

There are still 30 books overdue by students!  Please help me out and return these during registration or before!

Summer Reading - Older Students

As promised, I have a list of great books for older readers too!  Here are some great summer reads!

Older Readers

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
This is a great futuristic novel about a family who goes to a compound during a nuclear war.  Twin brothers are split up and only one, Eli, makes it to the compound.  Eli knows there is something strange going on and works to solve the mystery.  A great book but best for 5th or 6th graders.

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
A realistic fiction book about a girl being raised by her aunt and uncle.  As she struggles to adjust to middle school she finds a key and it helps her adjust to who she really is.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
A wonderful mystery novel where Theodore Boone gets his first chance at being a lawyer.  Usually he gives legal advice to his friends and classmates about "kid problems" but soon he finds himself in the middle of a murder trial.  Read to find out what happens and how he got involved in the first place!

Hero by Mike Lupica
A great action novel about a boy, Zach, who learns that he has special powers, like his dad.  The novel follows Zach as he learns of his powers and how to use them.  However, he is being followed by people he doesn't know and Zach is trying to figure out what really happened to his dad!  A great novel for a summer read but also one that can be checked out from the Orchard Hill Library in the fall!

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Brian Selznick was the one who wrote and illustrated The Invention of Hugo Cabret, this novel is similar in that it has a lot of pictures to accompany the story and it's historical fiction, but it's different in a lot of ways too.  The story takes place in two different time periods.  One story takes place through the pictures and one takes place through the words.  It's a neat book and a quick read.  Check it out this summer or from Orchard Hill!




Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm
Another historical fiction book.  This one is about a girl Turtle who goes to live in Key West, Florida.  She knows she's another child for her aunt to take care of and her cousins want nothing to do with her.  Join Turtle as she tries to become a friend, be helpful, and goes on a treasure hunt!  A great novel with wonderful characters.

I can't wait to hear what you read this summer!  I hope this gives you some ideas to get you through July!

Summer Reading

I've been doing a lot of reading over the summer.  I'm reading books being considered for the 2012-2013 Iowa Children's Choice Award and the Iowa Goldfinch Award.  I'm finding some great books to recommend to students coming back this fall.
My favorites so far...

Younger Students
Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic by Robert Burleigh
Great historical fiction picture book about Amelia Earhart!

Ant and Grasshopper by Luli Gray
A new version of the old fable.  Great illustrations!

E-mergency by: Tom Lichtenheld
A really cute story about the letter E who breaks his leg and can't be included in words anymore.  Other letters try to fill in for him.  It's cute for an adult or older reader to read with a younger one.  So many great side comments! We have this in the Orchard Hill Library!

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
Such a cute interactive book!  Fun for all ages!

Press Here by Herve Tullett
Another great interactive book and one we have in our Orchard Hill Library!

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems
A great Elephant and Piggie book!  It's laugh out loud funny and emerging readers would love this book!  We have a copy in the Orchard Hill Library too!

These are my picks for younger readers, check back tomorrow for some great books for older students!

Tumble Readables Summer Reading

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Enjoy!

April Genre Challenge

Congratulations to Mrs. Canady's Class for winning the Genre Challenge for April! They had a total of 13 points.  Second place was Mr. Halvorson's Class with 6 points, and third place was Ms. Hewett's Class with 3 points.  The genre for May is Award Winners.  These are current or old Children's Choice books, Newberry winners, or other award winning books.
Thanks!

March Genre Challenge

Congratulations to Mrs. Canady's Class for winning the Genre Challenge for March!  They were the ONLY class to participate and had 18 points!  Nice job!  The genre for April is Poetry.  I have some novels written in verse, but I will also count poetry books with one or more poems in the book.

Thanks!

January and February Genre Challenge

*I realized I never sent out the January results so both are here :)

Congratulations to Ms. Rindels' class for winning in January and Mrs. Shaw's class for winning February.  Our numbers declined a little these past few months, but I think more people are reading then are filling out the forms.  Both 3rd grades will receive popcorn parties! March's genre is fantasy/science fiction.  

All January and February results:

3R - Jan -22 (11 participants) Feb - 4 - (2 participants)

3S - Jan -8 (4 participants) Feb - 15 - (5 participants)

4C - Jan -6 (2 participants) Feb - 4 - (1 participant)

4H - Jan -0 Feb -0

5P - Jan -0 Feb -0

5T - Jan -0 Feb -0

6H - Jan -0 Feb -0

6S - Jan -0 Feb -0

December Genre Challenge Winners

Once again we had quite the battle this month!  Congratulations to Mrs. Schwab's class for winning in December.  Our students read 231 books! Mrs. Schwab's class will receive their popcorn party in January.  January's genre is classic books.  I consider a classic anything that has lasted two generations :)  If students are unsure, have them check with me :)

All December results:

3R -72 (12 participants)

3S - 26 (6 participants)

4C - 4 (1 participant)

4H -2 (1 participant)

5P - 11 (3 participants)

5T - 0

6H - 0

6S - 116! (25 participants)