CYBILS - The Finalists with My Hits and Misses!

The CYBILS winners and finalists were announced on Friday. I was fortunate to serve as a round two judge for Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books, the best part - getting to read some of the new books from 2013! I definitely have recommendations for my lower grade teachers and librarian BBFs. (The winners and finalists in all the other categories are on the CYBILS website.)

I blogged about the winners on Friday. My committee chose one Easy Reader and one Early Chapter book.  (Very difficult to pick the top one! We had several great books from which to pick.)

The runner-ups for Easy Readers: (Recommend all of these for Kindergarten or First Grade readers!!!)

A Big Guy Took My Ball! Mo Willems

 

Love Mo Willems! Another great piggy and elephant adventure. This time Gerald and Piggy have a possible bullying issue. Of course it ends with friendship. 5 stars

Joe and Sparky Go To School by Jamie Michalak

I had never read a Joe and Sparky book until January. It was terrific. I'm going to be adding more of Michalak's titles to our school library. From the illustrations to the great lines, a wonderful read for your beginners. Cute! Cute! Cute! 5 stars

Love is in the Air by Jonathan Fenske

 

Who would imagine a balloon falling in love with a kite? Only Jonathan Fenske! Adorable. Perfect for beginners. 4 stars

Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes

 

Who doesn't like Kevin Henkes? Not one in my world. Penny finds a marble and keeps it but then worries it might belong to someone else? If you love the adventures of Penny, you will love this one!
5 stars

The Meanest Birthday Girl by Josh Schneider

 

I'll be honest at first I didn't like this one, but then I reread it. Totally enjoyed it the second time around. It's a cute little story about happens to those mean little girls. Sometimes we can be mean. Dana likes to pinch and take things that are not hers! A perfect birthday present helps Dana overcome her "little" problems. 4 stars

Finalists for Early Chapter Books:

This category was a little easier to chose from.  I definitely had my favorites!

Dragonbreath # 9 Case of Toxic Mutants by Ursula Vernon

 

If your young readers enjoy graphic novels, they will love the Dragonbreath series. Its vocabulary and the length will challenge the younger readers. I can see my upper grade reluctant readers grabbing this one. Danny dons the role of detective to find Grandpa's missing dentures. Going to have to find some more Dragonbreath books for my students. Predict they will be a huge it with the third and fourth graders. 5 stars

Kelsey Green, Reading Queen by Claudia Mills

 

Kelsey's school hosts a little reading contest. Of course Kelsey wants her class to win. (Not sure I liked the format of the reading contest. I want my students to read for the love of it not to put numbers/titles on a reading log.) Kelsey read books below her ability just to count as another title read. She did help a fellow student with a book. Think my girls will like this one more than the guys. Wasn't my favorite but still 4 stars.

Lulu and the Dog From the Sea by Hilary McKay

 

If you students read the Judy Moody series, they will enjoy Lulu. Cute, great storyline, will highly interest your girls. Lulu loves animals. When her family rents a cottage on the beach, the landlord warns them about a stray beach dog. Lulu decides to befriend the dog and try to teach it to behave. Cute will give this one 4 and 1/2 stars.

Life of Ty: Penguin Problems by Lauren Myracle

 

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I felt like the storyline was lacking or underdeveloped.  The whole idea of a good kid "accidently" taking home a baby penguin from the aquarium during a school field trip was ridiculous. Could have been so much more... I'm going to pass on this one for my library. Do I have to give it stars?

Violet Mackerel's Natural Habitats by Anna Branford

 

Another one for my girls who read Judy Moody! Violet loves small things. After finding a ladybug in her backyard, she tries to create a home for it with disastrous results. Violet ends up helping her older sister with a science project and learning a lot about ladybugs. 4 stars


Other members of my panel were:

 

Alyson Beecher from Kid Lit Frenzy

Travis Jonker from 100 Scope Notes

Freya Hooper from One Great Book

Niki Barnes from Day Dream Reader

Tons of fun, maybe next January?

Keep Reading

Hip Hip Hooray! the CYBILS were announced today!

It's time to announce the winners of the CYBILS for 2013! To see what won in every book category visit the CYBILS website.  I was fortunate to serve as a round two judge for Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books. So without further delay:

Easy Readers Winner -

Urgency Emergency! Big Bad Wolf  by Dosh Archer

 

It’s a busy day at City Hospital where Doctor Glenda, and Nurse Percy have their hands filled assisting a little girl in a red coat who had lost her grandmother.  The excitement of the day only increases when Pengamedics wheel in a choking wolf.  Can Nurse Percy put aside his fears of wolves in order to assist Doctor Glenda? And what is that thing or is it a someone stuck in the wolf’s throat? With dogged determination, Doctor Glenda and her team work to save the choking wolf and rescue whoever is stuck.  

 

Dosh Archer brings a new twist to a classic favorite in Urgency Emergency! Big Bad Wolf. with laugh out loud text, Archer delivers up a fast paced adventure that will delight both beginning readers and adults who read alongside them. Thought the text is accessible to developing readers, children will discover some new connections with multiple read-throughs with this book. In the end, Archer provides children with an opportunity to celebrate alongside Doctor Glenda and her team for a job well done.

Early Chapter Book Winner -

Home Sweet Horror (Scary Tales) by James Preller

Other recipients:

Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!!!   Liam Finn and his sister just moved into the old Cropsey house. Their father has transplanted his family from Hopeville to Upstate New York. Liam and Kelley are both opposed to the move, but since the de

Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!!!

 

Liam Finn and his sister just moved into the old Cropsey house. Their father has transplanted his family from Hopeville to Upstate New York. Liam and Kelley are both opposed to the move, but since the death of their mother eighteen months earlier the family is struggling to survive. Upon moving into the house, Liam begins to hear strange noises and even receives a threatening message in a mirror.  When Kelley’s friend, Mitali, comes for a visit and summons “Bloody Mary”, the tale quickly escalates to a spine-tingling conclusion.

 

Preller takes an urban myth and creates an enjoyable little tale of horror that will appeal to the lower grade students. Bruno’s illustrations insert an appropriate amount of creepiness that adds to the ambiance of the tale.  Younger readers will appreciate this scary tale without the graphic and gory details of older horror reads.  This little page turner could become a camp fire classic!

These books will make great additions to your library or the lower grade classroom libraries.

Keep Reading! and Happy Valentine's Day!!!

#IMWAYR for January 27

It's Monday and time for What are you reading?  Link up with Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers to see what others are reading.

I was out for snow/ice last week on Wednesday. Did I spend time cleaning or working on lesson plans for this week? Of course not!!!  I read the Matched series I had ordered for my middle school students. I think they'll be perfect for my uppers who loved hunger games.

If you haven't seen them:

Matched, Crossed, and Reached by Allyson Braithwaite Condie.
In the three books you learn about Cassia has always been a loyal citizen of the "Society". Upon her matching day she's excited to learn she's been matched with her childhood friend Xander, but a second match is discovered, with Ky. Cassia has to deal with her feelings for both boys as she discovers things in the Society are not as perfect as they seem.

Loved them. Great series for your upper grade students.

Keep Reading. With this crazy winter weather what else is there to do...

#IMWAYR January 20

It's Monday! What are you reading? Link up with Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers to see what others are reading.

Last week I didn't get around to linking up. I did read week before last. I was focused on getting my books read for the Cybils. Can't wait to see what titles win in all the different categories. I'm a round 2 judge for Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books. I finished reading and rereading all 12 of my books and have my favorites, more on that in a couple weeks. Definitely have some recommendations for my lower grade teaching pals!

This past week I read:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. It's the first book in the Lunar Chronicles.

I loved it! 5 stars. My upper grade girls are going to love this one. As you can tell from the title, it's another retelling of Cinderella, but with a totally different twist. Cinder is a cyborg! The futuristic setting, fighting the plague, and of course the evil Lunar queen will appeal to my 7th and 8th grade girls. (Kirsten told me to hurry so she could read it first!)

Genius Files: You Only Die Twice by Dan Gutman

This one will be enjoyed by my middle students. I had the first Genius Files and the students have been after me to get more. Love it when that happens! Unfortunately, the downfalls of a small school - small budget. I have to plan purchases carefully. Hopefully hubby won't pay to close attention to the Amazon purchases for the past month. I sort of sneaked a few books in for my students with the Christmas shopping! As for the genius files, a cute thriller for my middle grades. In case you haven't read one - Pepsi and Coke McDonald are two teenagers enlisted in the genius files. They are traveling across the country in an RV with their parents.  Of course there is someone trying to kill them... The villain in this one surprised me. 3 stars.


Finally, I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Oh my gosh! If you haven't read this one DO SO! I thought about using it as a read-aloud, but I don't know if I can without crying. (Of course the kids laugh when I cry!) It was the most powerful book I've read this year. Maybe even tops Ivan, which I also greatly enjoyed!!! I loved the different perspectives of the kids in the story. Made me feel really proud to be a middle school teacher by the way the students handled the bulling issue. SOMETIMES, not always, it is important to let the students work it out. We're not going to be there for them when they become adults. 5 stars!!! LOVED THIS ONE.

In between basketball and school, this week I'm going to try to read Crossed, Matched, and Reached by Allyson Braithwaite Condie. My 8th girls are running out of books to read. Can't have that!!!

Keep Reading!

Monday Made It - My Snow Edition

I love Monday Made It. It's a great place to get some wonderful ideas for my school or the library.
This month is my snowy edition. Link up with Tara at  4th Grade Frolics for more creative ideas!

In East Tennessee we don't get a huge amount of snow, so if we get an inch of the fluffy stuff it's a SNOW DAY. In hopes of a few snow days for January and February. I switched the main bulletin board to a snowy theme. (I meant to post pictures yesterday but the snow covered road in front of my house kept this book lady indoors.)

Of course I got the theme "its snow secret" from Pinterest, but I had to put my own little spin on it. Made some 3 D snow flakes (idea from Pinterest). The site included a link to  these simple instructions. They were really easy to make.  I sprayed mine with silver glitter to make them a little sparkly. If I had thought in time, I would have picked up some really cute scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby. What I had at home or school just wasn't right for my snow board.

I made the snowman out of  deco mesh.  He's not perfect but he'll do. I was too cheap to buy the wreath forms. It probably would have helped keep his shape a little better. I just stapled the mesh to the bulletin board.

The part of the board the kids are going crazy over is the little snow people. Every snow person is a cartoon version of a staff member at school. I have everyone but the bus drivers.... Just didn't get their pictures taken in time or they would have been included.

How did I make my snow people? I'll demonstrate with my photo. Had to be fair and include myself on the board. Took my photo and uploaded to http://cartoonize.net/. With this website you can have a little fun with photos. I cropped my image and focused on the face.

After I cropped the image, I used effect 13. It gave me the look I was going for. I printed it on my black lazer and cut out my head. Then I created little hats and scarfs for each faculty and staff member. In most cases they are wearing their favorite color or something that represents their personality. It was tons of fun to create! I don't get to play with paper dolls very often. I'm usually watching or playing with my boys. (It's all about basketball or baseball at my house. Sometimes they let me play kickball....)

Enjoy your snow day. I should get to go back to school tomorrow.  I just got the phone call no school tomorrow. Good thing I went by the library for more books! Don't forget to check in with 4th Grade Frolics and see what everyone else has been creating.

Keep Reading!

#IMWAYR for January 6

It's Monday and What Are You Reading? Join in at check other readers at  Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.

 My first book of 2014 was The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. If you don't have this one in your library get it!!! I loved it. Can't wait to share it with my students. (I was supposed to go back to school tomorrow, but Old Man Winter had other ideas.) What really intrigued me about this book was the story was told from Ivan's perspective. 5 STARS!!!

 

 

Diary of Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney.
If you like the DWK series, you'll enjoy this one. Since I'm not an elementary student, I didn't get near as much enjoyment out of it as my students will. They will love it, especially the part about the 5 second rule.

 

I also read some picture books I brought home over break. I found a couple I hadn't read. My favorites:

Boxes For Katje by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen
I loved this one. Made me cry. Great little story about Europe and the end of WWII. One little girl's box of love to another little girl in Holland saved her town. 5 Stars

Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illustrated by Henry Cole Great story to add to your collection about the Underground Railroad.

Once Upon a Time by Niki Daly
Great little story about a little girl learning to read.

President Pennybaker by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Diane Goode Cute little story to add to your election stories.

Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies Lovely little book about bats.  It's in the Easy section in my library, but you could use this one with your informational texts about bats.

Also read:
No Two Snowflakes by Sheree Fitch, illustrated by Janet Wilson
Time Train by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Claire Ewart
The Wildest Brother by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Kerstin Meyer
The Bravest Girls in the World by Olivia George, illustrated by Randy DeBurke
Seven Brave Women by Betsy Hearne, illustrated by Bethanne Andersen
Mr. Wolf and Three Bears by Jan Fearnley
A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Mercy Watson: Goes for a Ride by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Oliver Button Is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola
Dora's Book by Michelle Edwards
Simon's Book by Henrik Drescher

It looks like a lot of books, but it was Christmas break and I'll do anything to avoid housework...
I hope the weather clears tomorrow so I can get to the library.  I'm going to be out of books. TRAGIC!!!

Keep Reading, I will....
 

First book of 2014!

Linking up with Sheila at Book Journey! What are you going to read first this year?

It's January 1st, what are you doing? I plan on reading of course. I will take a walk sometime after lunch to make my health coach happy.

Back in August my fifth graders challenged me to read 300 books this school year. I'm almost half way there. I have the exact number posted at school near my desk. I'm in the 140's... One of the personal challenges for this past year was to try to read as many of the new books as possible that I purchased for the library. I won't try to read every one. Sometimes one of the series is plenty. If I miss one of the Nate stories I won't lose any sleep!

I have to admit I was a mite excited when right before Christmas break, I received a box of books from Follett. (Happy, Happy, Happy Dance!!!) In the box was a copy of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

So what am I doing today? Curling up in my favorite chair, watching/listening to my boys watch the bowl games and READING. Have a great and very Happy New Year everyone.

Keep Reading... I will!