READ ALL ABOUT IT!

 T H I S   W E E K                                                                            

This week, we have been looking at the various novel series in the Library.  There are over 60 series in a variety of reading and interest levels.  Genres include science fiction, fantasy, humourous, historical and realistic fiction. 

Graphic novels continue to be the students' favourite and our priority is to add to this collection. 

As a child, I read all of the Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gable books.  Another series I devoured was Betsy and Starr by Caroline Heywood.  Do any of you remember those?

http://www.scholastic.com/animorphs/index.htm

 N E W   B O O K S  !                                                                                             

Students continue to check out the large selection of new fiction and non-fiction books.  The new Dragon Ball Z graphic novels by Akira Yoriyama and Gerard Jones are the most popular picks.

Dragon Ball introduces a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku, whose quiet life changes when he meets a girl named Bulma who is on a quest to collect seven "Dragon Balls." Interest level: K- 3   Reading level: Gr. 2 - 4

  L M I T                                                                                                                     

This Spring, some of our grade four students have shown an interest in becoming Library monitors.  The Library Monitors In Training (LMITS) are working with the grade five monitors and the Librarian to learn to shelve books and keep the Library tidy and organized. 

We appreciate the service of these dedicated grade fours!

 L I N D S A Y   L I B R A R Y                                                                                  

What's on my night table?  I have just started Any Human Heart by Scottish author, William Boyd.  Far more my cup of tea than Wicked...

Every life is both ordinary and extraordinary and Logan Mountstuart's - stretching across the twentieth century - is a rich tapestry of both. As a writer who finds inspiration from Virgina Woolf in London and Hemmingway in Paris, as a spy recruited by Ian Flemming and betrayed in the war, and as an art dealer in the sixties in New York, Logan mixes with the men and women who shaped his times. - Back cover

I also recently purchased two other books which I have yet to read:

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (recommended by a English  woman I met on vacation)

In Gibbons's classic tale, a resourceful young heroine finds herself in the gloomy, overwrought world of a Hardy or Bronte novel and proceeds to organize everyone out of their romantic tragedies into the pleasures of normal life. Flora Poste, orphaned at 19, chooses to live with relatives at Cold Comfort Farm in Sussex, the dour Starkadder family, are tyrannized by Flora's mysterious aunt. - Amazon

I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith (one of my book club picks)

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain wants to become a writer. Trouble is, she's the daughter of a once-famous author with a severe case of writer's block. Her family is barely scraping by in a crumbling English castle they leased when times were good. Now there's very little furniture, hardly any food, and just a few pages of notebook paper left to write on. Bravely making the best of things, Cassandra gets hold of a journal and begins her literary apprenticeship by refusing to face the facts. - Amazon


 C  O  N  T  E  S  T  ! !                                                                    

What did your parents like to read when they were your age? 

Write down one of your parent's favourite books, along with your name and division . Put your entry in the glass jar on the Library desk.

Good Luck!

 COMMENTS   OR   QUESTIONS?                                           

Email me at ldelair@sd40.bc.ca  Happy Reading!

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

 R E A D Y,   S E T,   L E A R N                                                                         

 

This Thursday, the Ready, Set, Learn programme took place in the Library. Twelve 3 year olds and their parents joined the Kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Kenny and Mrs. Codesmith as well as Ms. Moorcroft and the Librarian for a story, snacks, stations and a short presentation.  It was wonderful to meet some future McBride students!

"The Province's Ready, Set, Learn initiative recognizes that families need good information about how to support their young child’s early learning, as well as, development of positive connections with the school system and local community agencies." http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/rsl/

"Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help."

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

Storyline Online http://www.storylineonline.net/

Books for Pre-schoolers:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Corduroy by Don Freeman

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise 

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

 E A R L Y   R E A D E R S                                                                   

Early readers at Richard McBride are keen on books by Mo Willems and Melanie Watt.

 Mo Willems is an award winning author and animator.  His books include Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and the Elephant and Piggies series.

http://www.pigeonpresents.com/books.aspx

Melanie Watt is a Canadian author and illustrator.  She is well-known for her Scaredy Squirrel and Chester books.

 

 http://melaniewatt.com/default.aspx

 T H I S   W E E K                                                                                                

This week was a bit of a free for all!  Some classes worked on Poetry and wrote their own version of Dennis Lee's Alligator Pie.  They did a wonderful job! 

Three classes focused on the novel series, Geronmino Stilton, a mouse journalist who would like nothing better than to live a quiet life, but keeps getting involved in far-away adventures.  This series originated in Italy and has been translated into 35 languages.  Intended for ages 8 to 12, it is also an excellent read aloud for younger children. http://www.geronimostilton.com/

For a bit of a treat and a bit of a laugh, we watched a video on Jesse! Wouldn't it be great if our kids were this helpful?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Fyey4D5hg

 D A M A G E D   B O O K S                                                                                    

Occassionally, library books are damaged beyond repair and students are asked to pay for these items. However, if money is a concern, the Library can absorb the cost.

The number one cause of damaged books this year is leaky water bottles in backpacks. So make sure those lids are on tight and that books are carried in a different part of your pack!

  

 F I R S T   N A T I O N S   S E C T I O N                                                             

 

There is now a dedicated First Nations section in the Non-Fiction area of the Library. 

The books are identified with a First Nations spine sticker and include information on Aboriginal history, art, customs and traditions as well as legends.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

 S P R I N G   H A S   A R R I V E D !      

Thanks to our monitors, the Library is ready for Spring.  The snowflakes are gone and the Easter decorations are up.  Easter, Spring and rabbit books are on display for students to check out.  Pop in and have a look!

 S E R V I N G   A L L I G A T O R   P I E                          

This week we will continue with our Poetry unit.  Students will create their own Alligator poem patterned after Canadian poet, Dennis Lee's Alligator Pie.  We will also learn about Jack Prelutsky and his poetry. Here is a taste of his poem, Bleezer's Ice Cream! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuPlUQvViX8

 N E W   B O O K S                                                                                             

Watch for our new books coming out the next two weeks!  Mrs. Edgar is busy processing our last batch of books.  Take out a new book and get a book mark!

 O V E R D U E   &   L O S T   B O O K S     

Overdue and Lost book notices were handed out on Friday.  Students who have lost or overdue books may not take out books until the missing books are returned or paid for.  Please contact the Librarian at ldelair@sd40.bc.ca if you have any questions or think that the items have been returned to the library.

 C O M I N G   A T T R A C T I O N S        

This month in the Library, we will  focus on Earth Day and the Environment, Books to Movies and Easter as well as poetry.

 L I N D S A Y   L I B R A R Y                                                                  

Last week, I wrote about Books to Movies.  The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is a classic example of this!  As a child, I found this movie disturbing and I still don't like it.  I have met an equal number of people who love and hate this film.  Weren't we all a bit scarred by the flying monkeys, though?

I am reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maquire for my book club.  This is definitely a book for adults.  It is a great read if you are a fan of fantasy and The Wizard of Oz (unfortunately, I am a fan of neither...).

 M O R N I N G   O P E N I N G S                                                                       

The Library is open to students Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Students are asked to arrive between at 8:30 and 8:40 only and are expected to work quietly.  This is a great time to finish homework, read or have a look at our collection of pop-up books.

 T H I S  W E E K                                                                                

This week the focus is on poetry.  Students are invited to browse through our collection of poetry books.  We will be studying the poems of Dennis Lee and Shel Silverstein.http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html

 B A C K   F R O M   T H E   B R E A K   C O N T E S T!!                           

Write the title of a book you read over the Spring Break along with your name and division.  Pop your entry into the jar on the Library desk! 

Good Luck!

 B O O K S   T O   M O V I E S                                                                                 

Rodrick Rules, the latest movie from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is in local theatres now.  There are many wonderful books in our Library that have also been made into movies. 

Did you know that the movie Shrek is based on the book by William Steig?  He also wrote Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and The Amazing Bone.  How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Katherine Lanky and Coraline by Neil Gaiman were all made into successful movies.  Dr. Seuss's books-to-movies include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Horton Hears a Who and Cat in the Hat.  My son, Thompson's  favourite books, A Series of Unfortunate Events, were made into a movie as well.  He enjoyed the movie but thought that the books were better.  I felt that way the first time I saw the movie, Gone with the Wind...

Many readers anxiously awaited  the release of the  Harry Potter movies and were not disappointed.  However, some of the movies are rated PG-13 and are not suitable for young children.  It is important to note that just because of movie is based on a children's book doesn't mean that it is family friendly.  Please take the time to check out the movies your child watches.

 L I N D S A Y   L I B R A R Y                                                              

 

I have always been an avid reader.  I remember reading James and the Giant Peach with a flashlight under the covers when I was in grade four.  I loved The Secret World of Og by Pierre Burton and all of the Anne of Green Gable books. I was also a fan of the Little House on the Prairie series.

I love to read and belong to two book clubs.  My favourite books include Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery and The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. 

I just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak which I would highly recommend for grade 9 and above.

Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull her to sleep when shes roused by regular nightmares about her younger brother's death. Across the ensuing years of the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayors reclusive wife (who has a whole library from which she allows Liesel to steal), and especially her foster parents. .–Amazon.ca

 I F   Y O U   L I K E   H A R R Y   P O T T E R                                                  

You might like:

Children of the Red King, better known as the Charlie Bone series, is a popular series of children's fantasy novels written by British author Jenny Nimmo.

Charlie's aunts had given up all hope that he would show signs of having some of the mysterious and magical powers of the Red King, which are passed down through his descendants. Some of the gifts are evil and some are good. Some of them turn up unexpectedly...as in the case of Charlie Bone. After years of living life as a normal little boy, he begins to hear people talking in photographs. His horrible aunts are delighted to discover that he takes after their side of the family. They immediately enroll him in the gloomy Bloor's Academy for gifted children. As Charlie struggles to master his magical gifts and to fit in with his fellow classmates, he begins to uncover old clues to more than one mystery...                                                                                   -AllReaders.com

http://www.scholastic.com/charliebone/books.htm

The Secrets of Droon, is a fanasy series written by American author, Tony Abbott. 

Eric, Julie, and Neal discover an enchanted stairway in Eric's basement, which turns out to be a portal to the magical and troubled world of Droon! It's a wondrous place where adventure is always close at hand. It is world inhabited by the wizards, sorcerers, purple lumpies and pilkas. Adventure is always close at hand...

http://www.scholastic.com/droon/series.htm

 S T.  P A T R I C K ' S   D A Y                                                                                

Did you know that St. Patrick was born in Britian and was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and sold into slavery?

This week, we watched a PowerPoint presentation and learned the history and traditions of St. Patrick's Day. 

Maewyn Succat was born in Roman occupied Britain to a wealth family.  At the age of 16 he was captured by Irish pirates and sold to a cheiftan in Ireland as shepherd. After six long years, Succat managed to  escape  back to England and was re-united with his family.  He then travelled to Gaul (France) to become a priest and he changed his name to Patrick.

At the age of 60, Patrick returned to Ireland where he built monastaries, churches and schools. According to popular legend, Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.  He died on March 17 but St. Patrick continues to be honoured in Ireland and around the world.

Wear GREEN on Thursday, March 17!

 D O G S   V S   C A T S                                                                                     

It’s good news for dog lovers!  

So far the canines are beating the felines.  More McBride students are choosing to check out hound books than kitty books.

If you are a cat lover, make sure you take our a cat book soon.

  L I N D S A Y   L I B R A R Y ’ S   P E R SO N A L   P I C K S                                          

Students are invited to check out my personal favourites! So far my picks have included Katie Loves Kittens, Go Dogs Go, The Great Brain, Harriet the Spy and Little House in the Big Woods.  Many of these wonderful books are my childhood favourites.

HAVE A WONDERFUL SPRING BREAK & REMEMBER TO READ!      

R  E  A  D     A  L  L     A  B  O  U  T     I  T  !                          

 L I B R A R Y   M O N I T O R S                                                                        

 Our Grade 5 Monitors continue to provide a valuable service to our library! Their duties include shelving and organizing books, keeping the Library tidy and setting up displays. Many thanks, Monitors, for your help and dedication!

 2 0 1 0   O L Y M P I C   G A M E S                                                    

This week we acknowledged the first anniversary of the 2010 Winter Olympics.  The students had a chance to hold an Olympic torch and talk about their Olympic memories.  We also watched a video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EbEP2xnAk4&feature=related 

  D  R  A  G  O  N  S                                                                                                

We continued to study Dragons.  Students watched a PowerPoint presentation to learn about dragons from Africa, India and Mexico and then they designed their own dragons.

There is a wide selection of dragon books available for checkout including novels, picture books, poetry and Dragonology!

"This indispensable workbook teaches everything you need to know to become an esteemed dragonologist."

C A T S   V S.  D O G S  B O O K S                                                   

 

Are you cat person or a dog person?  Cast your vote; check out a cat or dog book this week! There is a great selection of feline and canine fiction and non-fiction books.