Pet's in the Library?

No, the kids didn't bring their pets today. We just read about pets. Today we read:
If I had a Gorilla by Mercer Mayer.

I just love Mercer Mayer. He also has a great website in case you need a funny moment or two. (Comes in handy if you happen to get a nasty cough and have trouble with the read alouds!)

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orfoff, illustrated by David Catrow

This is an adorable tale of Alex and his mother debating the issue of a pet iguana.

Had to read Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold. Doesn't everyone have a pet fly?

Other great pet stories are:
The Berenstain Bears' Trouble With Pets by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Dino Pets by Lynn Plourde
Daniel's Pet by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Brian Karas
Pinky and Rex and the Just Right Pet by James Howe, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Author's Pet Business by Marc Brown
The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Bruce Whatley
Pet Show! by Ezra Jack Keats
Henry and Mudge books by Cynthia Rylant

Today the kids took home an animal mask. I found these kits at Oriental Trading.  (The kits I picked up last year are a little different than what is currently instock.)
I'm going home to read. What else can I do in the rain?

Keep Reading!  I will...

If only reading books got my house cleaned.......

This summer I have definitely been reading more. My flower beds are weedy and  my house is dusty! My wonderful mother-in-law informed me "Dust is a country accessory!" If that's true, my house is so stylish it should be featured in HGTV magazine! (I won't insult Southern Living.)  Hmmmm, wonder if my teenager would dust for gas money? It's really not that bad, but if you come to see my house, make an appointment.

Seriously, I read some great books last week. I couldn't pick just a couple to blog about. This might be my longest post to date.   I have to mention Monet Paints a Day by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl.

This one is just a terrific way to introduce art/artists to our students. Basically,  Ms. Danneberg has recreated a day in the life of Claude Monet. It's wonderful. Ms. Heimerl's illustrations are perfect. Would work well with a sequencing activity. Maybe I should make one. (Another reason not to dust!)

Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka is another standout.

Our math teachers could incorporate a little multiplication with this one. Little Mary does a good deed and it spreads all around. Could be used with cause and effect, manners, multiplication... Reminded me a little of another great book that I read a couple weeks ago - Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein.

Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal by Jeanie Franz Ransom, illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic

This one I have to read to a certain group of 2nd graders this fall. Oh my, they love to tattle. Our school councilor will love this one. I may just save this one for her to use first. The characters are pigs.... It's the best tattletale story I've seen a while.

King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen  

Adorable little story about people who brag. Maybe they only go/teach at my school.... The class I mentioned is going to get this one read to them also! Might have to pull this one out for a certain group of 8th graders also. It's pretty funny.

Fortunately, Unfortunately by Michael Foreman

Perfect for cause and effect. I had seen this one on Pinterest. It's as cute as I had heard.

Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins, illustrated by John Manders

Yes, it's a fractured tale of Goldilocks with a totally different ending. Librarians will love this one, but so will reading teachers. No nasty porridge, just great books in this house.

Keep Reading! I will...

Library games!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought "I can do that!" This is the original post on Blog Hoppin' by Stacy Johnson. She's got a really cute blog over at http://imbloghoppin.blogspot.com/.

 

But, how to use it in the library.... hmmm

I also found the cutest game board on TPT by Rachel Parlett. Hmmm, again how to use this in the library? Maybe in  library center.... but it needed a game/activity.

Then I found these task cards on ProTeacher.com (Just do a search for task cards and you'll find tons of free ones.)

But wait I needed some cute and cheap game pieces. Now refer to original picture, but remember I'm the book lady! What if the clips were holding characters or some of my favorite books? Tada ----This is the Sara version.

Took pictures of a few of my favorite books, laminated onto black card stock and shazam! Ended up with a really cute and cheap center for the library. (FYI: I really liked the duck tape version better than the Scotch Expressions tape.)

Happy Reading!

Fun with Scaredy Squirrel

This week for my summer reading program I selected some of the new books that arrived the last couple weeks of school. I just saved them to display in August.

I read:

Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey   This is the delightful tale of Hally Tosis who has horrible dog breath. Her owners decide to get rid of her until one day, she saves the day.

Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt   Scaredy tries to stay awake because he's afraid he'll have a nightmare.

Scaredy Suirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt   Scaredy has issues with the idea of going camping. You know quick sand, mosquitoes, and the three bears!

Of course we had to do a little activity. The kids who have been attending my summer reading program range from 3 to 8 years old so I needed to find something simple but fun. I decided to have them make a Scaredy Squirrel mask.  I found the "How to draw Scaredy Squirrel" on Ms. Watt's website, but I didn't think my 3 year old's would like it. So I drew Scaredy and turned him into a mask.

click here to download from google docs

I printed the masks onto white card stock. Then the kids colored Scaredy. With the help of parents and grand-parents, we cut out the mask and removed the eyes. I cut slits in the sides to hold the ribbon, and here's the finished masks! I thought they turned out really cute.

Happy Reading!

Bloglovin'

This is a first! Maybe I should have linked with "Tried it Tuesday"! Ha Ha... I'm linking up with Tori at Tori's Teacher Tips to find more great ELA blogs to read.

 I'm a K-8 Teacher Librarian who loves all things reading. When I'm not teaching library classes, I also teach computer lab for K - 4 and have Reading RTI classes with any grade that needs more RTI help. If you haven't switched over to Bloglovin yet DO IT! I love it. It's real easy and Tori has a great guide to get you started. (Even has instructions on putting the buttons on your blog!)  Head on over....

Happy Reading! and for today blog hopping!

It's Me, It's Me, It's a MINI - ME,

I'm so excited. I got a mini-me! Crystal Fox, aka Library Fox, created a mini Mrs. Brown. This should dress up my newsletters and notices going home with students. Now when I send those book bills home, I'll be sending a little me home with them. Maybe it will get their attention! I think I'll redo a few posters I have hanging in the library.

She's so cute! The reason for the sun, my former principal had a little fun with my signature on an email. Sara Brown, LMS. She thought it should be "Little Miss Sunshine". I'm usually a little too happy to be there jovial and animated. (Might be all those Dr. Peppers I drink! I really need to cut back. Maybe I should of had Crystal draw a whole case of DP by my feet....)

Happy Reading!

It's Monday and I'm reading .....What?

I have so many books to read it's hard to pick what to read next!  Oh, like I'm the only person with that problem. I read though my stack of picture books last week and honestly loved them all. The book about small game wasn't my favorite, but I got that for my little hunters... I have several of those. If I had to pick a couple stand outs, the first would be Twister by Darleen Bailey Beard, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.

This is an awesome book about, well, a twister! It's definitely going in my stack for weather week in the spring. This one is beautifully written, "The monstrous howling shakes my chest and makes my insides shiver. Then, once again, it's silent." If you can't see the tornado from the wonderful wording, there are Ms. Carpenter's illustrations that are just perfect. This one is a keeper. LOVE IT!!!

I also recommend Wolf! by Becky Bloom, illustrated by Pascal Biet.

The hungry wolf visits the farm for some lunch but gets sidetracked when he sees the animals reading. (I soooo related to this one. I have missed, delayed, and even burnt supper over a book!) This one was just too cute. Wolf, of course, has to learn how to read. Can't be upstaged by a pig... Wolf! covers the whole process our kiddies go though when learning how to read. I can't wait to read this one for story time this fall...

Finally, if you don't have The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch,  GO AND GET THIS ONE!!! Can't wait to do a short story unit with my darlings this fall and I'm so going to read them this book.

Henrietta, the hen, loves to read and decides to write her own story. This delightful tale steps readers though the writing process.  (Would be a wonderful addition to a unit on elements of a story.) After Henrietta finishes her book, she has a little trouble with the publishing... It's just adorable. Can you tell I had some serious book love with this one?

This week I'll be reading:

Picture books (Easy books):

Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal by Jeanie Franz Ransom, illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt
King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen
Prairie Chicken Little by Jackie Mims Hopkins, illustrated by Henry Cole
The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter, illustrated by Giselle Potter
Fortunately, Unfortunately by Michael Foreman
Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Mims Hopkins, illustrated by John Manders
What Are You So Grumpy About? by Tom Lichtenheld
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Jotto Seibold
Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed, by Emily Pearson, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies

Non-fiction books

A Foot in the Mouth by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka
Monet Paints a Day by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl
Galaxies, Galaxies! by Gail Gibbons
Farming by Gail Gibbons
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell illustrated by Patrick Benson

Keep Reading! (Summer vacation will be over before we realize.....)