Book Covers and Bullies

This week with TESA (State Testing) taking place, in the lab, for some classes in the upper grades, all library media classes were in the library.

The lessons of the week for the younger classes were parts of the book. First grades focused on a books cover. We learned that there are three main things you will find on a book cover. Ask your first or second grader if they can name these three parts. As a follow up activity some classes designed their own book covers. Second graders looked further into parts of a book , covering title page, table of contents, index, glossary and spine label. Our read aloud books for the week with first, second and kindergarten students were, Click Clack Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Croine, A Fine Fine School by Sharon Creech


Some classes were treated to a read aloud of Bronco Charlie and the Pony Express. This book is on the list of books competing for the Beverly Cleary Award to be decided by students votes in the Spring. To learn more about the award check out the OEMA website.

Third through fifth graders are doing the read aloud Shredderman Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen. This book is also up for the Cleary Award. Students need to have read or have read to them two of the books on the list in order to vote. If you would like to see a list of this years nominees check out my August post here at Adventures with Books see the post Beverly Cleary Award Nominees 2007.

Shine On!!

Shinning stars for this week are:

Addis A-6
Delaney A-6
Morgan A-6

Sandra B-2

Jordan B-4

Lucas B-4

Morgan B-5
Ethan B-5

Ryan C-1
Grace C-1

Chase C-3

Michael P C-5

Zion M-1

Isabell M-2

All of B-2! Wow!!

What a class this week on Tuesday....it makes work not seem like work for me!

Shelf Elf Award

Our Second Shelf Elf Award!

Our second Shelf Elf Award was given out this week to Taryn in room A-6!

Yeah Taryn!!!

A Shelf Elf Award is given to students who show extra respect in our library in helping to keep our shelves neat and clean. Students who fix book that are out of place, straighten shelves and let us know that there is a problem that they can not fix without our adult help when it comes to the book shelves. I really appreciate the help that students show in keeping our library organized and beautiful.

Thank you Taryn, I'll be watching for more Shelf Elfes.

*The Shelf Elf Award is based on the book The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins

Boring.........

Biographies....No Way

Curve balls, fast balls, women striking out men, swimming the English Channel, cross country flying in 1916, creators of Coke, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and my favorite the Hershey chocolate bar....This stuff can't be boring!

This month one of the classes is heading into the biography section of the library to do a little research. This gave me the idea to tell you about some biographies. Often times we might think of this kind of book as boring, but let me tell you I have read some pretty fun and informative biographies right from our own Harritt Library shelves. Last year a few of my favorites were new biographies called The Lives and Times series. Here are a few of my favorites.

I also found a few that were not new last year, but I enjoyed such as A Strong Right Arm by Michelle Green, America's Champion Swimmer Gertrude Ederle by David Adler , Ruth Law Thrills A Nation by Don Brown.

Look for the biography display on the shelf in front of my desk, and while you are there...Check some out!

Recall and Retell and On With Technology

Recall and retell was our focus with the First graders this week. We read one of my favorite stories, Bark George by Jules Feiffer. After learning what recall and retell meant each student was asked to illustrate the story from the book. These illustrations will be coming home after our first grading period. I hope you enjoy hearing the story of George when this activity is sent home with our budding illustrators.

Second graders also reviewed this concept with the story Alexander an the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. They too will be bringing home their illustration of this story after the grading period to share with you the story they heard. Some second grade classes looked at parts of a book with the key words being, spine, cover, title page, table of contents, index and glossary. We also discussed author and illustration.


Third through fifth grade completed their Microsoft Word projects and we have begun hanging some of those in the hallway. Should you visit the school soon be on the look out for our "Recipe For A Good Year" and stranded stories. These too will come home after the first grading period.

This week held something special for the kindergarten students. This was their first trip to the Media Center for stories. Up to this point I had been visiting them in their classrooms with stories. Their stories this week included Bark George and Pig Pig Gets A Job by David McPhail Kindergarten will begin the process of checking out books after the winter break.

Stars Of The Week

The list of star students is shorter this week so I am sure I must have missed someone. These are the star students for the week, and these students really did shine.

A-4...Mykenzie, Kailee, Sophie
B-4...Kanoa
C-4...Marcus
C-5...Cody
C-6...Sean, Kyle M.

ABC, Recall and Retell, Down To The Wire In Word

This week the younger grades continued with their study of alphabetical order. They are learning how important this skill is in our world at the library, as well as, the outside world in everyday life.

Two of my most favorite books were the focus of our lessons. The Upside Down Turned Around Alphabet by Lisa Campbell Earnst and Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald.


Second graders worked on the skill of recall and retell. Our story focus was on the book by Judith Virost Alexander and The Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. After hearing the story we worked to recall and retell the story on paper through the use of pictures.

3rd-5th graders are coming into the home stretch with their first Word project. Those who have completed the typing are having a fun time on the Internet at sites I have preapproved. One site is the Make-A-Flake where the students cut snowflakes by maneuvering their mouse. This is a great visual lesson, as well as, building the skill of mouse control. I don't tell them they are learning as they think they are just playing around. Ü

Twinkle Twinke My Star Students

Yes, you! You are the star!

B-1....Baily, Jon, Laura, Whitney, Jessica, McKenzie

B-4-Cassie, Seth, Kaylin

B-5....Ethan, Justin, Morgan

B-6...Preston, Leonel

C-1... Max, Rayn, Trevor, Andrea, Paige, Michael, Rachel, Christian, Isacc, Stephen

C-3...Felix, Gabe, Gabriela

C-4...Aaron, Andrew, Jeb, Kaylin, Wayne, Nathan

C-5...Alyssa C, Joel, Tamia

C-6 Brandon T, Lizzy, Jordan, Kayla

M-1...Alexa

Camping Anyone?

This weekend my family spent a night in a cabin at Silvercreek Falls. As I spent that time out in nature, I was reminded of a few great camping, outdoors books I could share with you. Check-out these titles next time you are in the library.

In the Woods: Who's Been Here? By Linsday Barrett George This book has the most beautiful illustrations of nature as you follow a brother and sister through the woods and they identify who has been there ahead of them. You will love the surprise ending too. Watch the illustrations for clues on each page of who has been there and who you will see on the next page as you work your way through the story.

Who can resist Amelia Badelia and her silliness? You will love this book Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping By Peggy Parish. You will laugh your way through each and every page of this very funny story about Amelia and her camping adventures.

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements is a book I couldn't put down this summer. Have you ever thought it seemed like everything was going against you? Well this is just how Mark feels and when he finally ends up spending a week in the woods with his classmates both he and you will be surprised at how this book ends.

Hey Mrs. Wanek, Got Books?

YOU BET!

Just Getting A Little Help From My Friends!

Last week we brought in a good dozen boxes of books from a recent trip that I took to the Scholastic Warehouse. Due to the wonderful support of so many at Harritt last Spring during our annual book fair and the fact that it was such a huge success, I was able to take a buying trip to the Scholastic Warehouse in Portland.

I was able to purchase many books with our book fair profit. I brought back over 250 new books for the library in both Spanish and English.

I was also able to buy several literature sets in both English and Spanish to be used in the classroom for literature circles. We added approximately 120 books to the literature collection.

I am looking forward to the book fair this year. Each year families get a lot of great books for their homes. We are also able to build both our library collection and our literature collection for the present students of Harritt, as well as, the future students of Harritt.

Read Anything Good Lately?

This last week I read three books that I am so anxious to tell you about, but our class time seems so limited that I decided to add a new post here called none other than "Read Anything Good Lately?" Watch for these posts to tell you about the latest books I have read that you might like to check-out.

1. Dear Whiskers by Ann Whitehead Nadga, what a sweet book about friendship between two girls of different culture and different grade levels at school. This book has some cute humor and you will be able to relate to the main character if you were in her shoes in the same situation.

2. Jake Drake Know-It-All by Andrew Clements, is about a group of elementary students who are challenged to create the best science project for their class. The winner receives a new computer with a year of free Internet. (Count me in!) You will be able to relate to Jake and dealing with his K-I-A (Know it all) classmates who are out to win.

3. Johnny Hangtime by Dan Gutman, this was a page turner that kept me up way past my bedtime one night as I couldn't put it down. Johnny Hangtime is a stunt double for a spoiled Hollywood brat. He is also dealing with a bully at school. No one can know the double life he lives as each stunt gets more and more dangerous. I can't tell you more, but if you don't check it out I'll be reading it again soon myself.

Learning Alphabetical Order to Lessons in Word

Our week was a full week as usual. With me being out two days some students were treated to the book Humble Pie by Jennifer Donnelly.

With the younger grades we are working on alphabetical order and what letter comes before or after another letter. We are learning the importance of knowing our ABC's as it relates to the library, as well as, other areas of our world. Our featured books for this week were,
Hullabaloo ABC by Beverly Cleary and Superheros ABC by Bob McLeod.

The upper grades are working in Microsoft Word. Third graders are learning (reviewing with 4th and 5th graders) how to use Word Art, fonts, point size, alignment tools as well as keyboarding skills. We are also learning to locate and open our projects and how to save correctly, so as not to lose our valuable work. Some students are also learning to use the digital cameras and attach a photo to their project. Be looking for the "Recipe For A Good Year" to be hanging in the hallways soon along with an imaginative story about being stranded on a deserted island.

It was a lot of doing just the "little things" this week. Things like saying, "Thank You". We also had students being willing to help a classmate with a good attitude, sharing, being willing to help me with a great attitude when asked and making the best choices while others around them weren't! These are things that we saw that added more star students to our wall this week . Way to go guys you make me so proud of you!
Andrew C-4
Isaac B-3
Isabel M-2
Skylar-M2
Jonah A-6
MacKenzie B-5
Malia B-5
Devin C-3
Kiah C-3
Cody C-5
Danial C-5
Alexia C-5
Pedro C-5
Suzlinda C-5
Timia C-5
Alice B-6
Marlee B-6
Donny B-6
Zach B-6
Sonia B-6
Sid B-6
Delaney B-6