LibLaura5

Monday, May 20, 2013

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

Every Monday I see inspiring lists of what everyone is reading, and I can never seem to pull it together to post my own list.
Well... not today.
It's still Monday, I'm here, and here is what I am reading...

Books I loved last week:

This Week I'm Reading:

Be sure to visit Mentor Texts to learn more about It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Doll Bones by Holly Black

Happy Book Birthday to:

What it's about (in one sentence): A doll that may be haunted by the ghost of a little girl, leads three friends on a thrilling adventure.

What I love:
Doll Bones is about three friends, now in middle school, who have played a game together since they were very young. Their game is all about creating elaborate adventure stories starring characters they based on their dolls or action figures. The three friends are all collaborative authors of an amazing story.
Suddenly one doll, a character they call The Queen, starts to communicate with them through dreams. She is an antique bone china doll that seems to be haunted by the ghost of a little girl - a ghost that needs their help.
I love the elaborate collaborative story telling of the three friends in this story. It is because of this element that you as a reader don't know for sure if The Queen really is haunted or if it is just another part of the friends' story.
I also love that the creepiness of the potentially haunted doll is thrilling without being nightmare inducing for the upper elementary/middle school set.

Did you know...

1. Holly Black has a secret library in her house. Take a tour here.

2. Puns make her go insane.

3. She loves lots of fabulous books. See a list of her favorites here.

Visit Holly Black's Website

My students and I are very excited that Holly Black will be visiting our school later this week.
To celebrate, I am giving away a signed copy of Doll Bones.

This Giveaway will run from 5/7 until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday 5/11.
You must be at least 13 to enter.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker & Tom Lichtenheld

Happy Book Birthday to Steam Train, Dream Train the new book by the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site duo Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld:

I will be sharing Steam Train, Dream Train with some very excited students this week...
Author Sherri Duskey Rinker will be visiting my school next Tuesday!
Thank you to our amazing local bookstore Red Balloon Bookshop for making this visit possible.

Sherri was kind enough to finish a few of my sentences starters via email:

The best thing about school visits is... meeting the students: they always inspire and impress me --- and make me laugh!
Picture Books are... life changing, inspiring, formative. Art and poetry, visual and verbal.
Some of my favorite books to read with kids (other than my own) are... I love, love, love Harry Potter, the whole series: pure genius. I'm also a MAJOR SkippyJon Jones fan and I think Judy Schachner is amazing. I always learn a little something in every Magic Treehouse book. Oh, and Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: I laugh at some goofy thing, every time.
One more thing... Even though my dad grew up in West Virginia and two of my sisters are in North Carolina, I'm a northern girl --- born and raised in the Chicago area. I think I'm from the south (grit-loving, "y'all" and all), but I'm really not. Shhh!... please do not tell me.

My students have also really enjoyed her first book Goodnight, Goodnight Construction site.

To celebrate I am giving away one copy of Steam Train, Dream Train and one copy of Goodnight, Goodnight both signed by Sherri Duskey Rinker.

This Giveaway will run from 4/16 until 11:59 p.m. on 4/20.
You must be at least 13 to enter.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Caldecott Challenge 1981-1982

I have now entered my elementary school years with the Caldecott Challenge.

'81 and '82 were honor book heavy years with 4 honor books each, making 10 more books toward the challenge - a current total of 191 books out of 316

Creepiest book from this set: Outside Over There by Sendak wins this for sure. Goblins stealing a baby and replacing it with an ice baby replica that melts = Cree-Pee!

Most cats in the illustrations: A Visit to William Blake's Inn. With the tigers and the King of Cats, there are many featured felines in this one. I wish I had done a better job of officially tracking the Cats of Caldecott, I am sure that there are a few I have missed along the way. (Look for cats in 4 of the other titles below)

Strongest Minnesota Connection: St. Paul-ite and Illustrator of Where the Buffaloes Begin, Stephen Gammell lives just over there ~points~ on the other side of the river.

Newbery Challenge / #nerdbery Connection: A Visit to William Blake's Inn. The only Newbery winner to appear in the Caldecott Challenge.

Favorite title of this set: Jumanji by VanAllsburg. He is a master story teller along with being an amazing artist. VanAllsburg is one of my all time favorite author/illustrators. I also love that he includes a bull terrier in all of his books.

Jumanji also wins the category of most special copy from this set:

2003 Was the year I became a school librarian!

1981

Medal Winner:

Fables

by Arnold Lobel

Honor Books:

The Bremen-Town Musicians

by Ilse Plume

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher

by Molly Bang

Mice Twice

by Joseph Low

Truck

by Donald Crews

1982

Medal Winner:

Jumanji

by Chris Van Allsburg

Honor Books:

Where the Buffaloes Begin

illustrated by Stephen Gammell

written by Olaf Baker

On Market Street

illustrated by Anita Lobel

written by Arnold Lobel

Outside Over There

by Maurice Sendak

A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers

illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen

written by Nancy Willard

Current Caldecott Challenge total 1938-1982: 191

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Caldecott Challenge 1974-80

6 years - 24 books - a big leap forward in my Caldecott Challenge reading.

It was Spring Break this week, so I decided to play a little catch-up with my #nerdcott reading.
With 1974 I am now officially reading award winners from my own lifetime.

Most Helpful for my 6th grade Castle Project: Castle (Honor 1978)

Least controversial naked children after Sendak's In the Night Kitchen - (Honor 1971): Ben's Trumpet (Honor 1980) & It Could Always Be Worse (Honor 1978)

Top Left: In the Night Kitchen, Top Right: Ben's Trumpet,
Bottom: It Could Always Be Worse

Most read as a board book in my home: Freight Train (Honor 1979)

Most frequent Author of the 70s award books: Byrd Baylor with 4 titles: When Clay Sings (Honor 1973), The Desert is Theirs (Honor 1976), Hawk I'm Your Brother (Honor 1977), The Way to Start a Day (Honor 1979).

Most frequent illustrators of the 70s: Margot Zemach with 3 titles: The Judge (Honor 1970), Duffy and the Devil (Winner 1974), It Could Always be Worse (Honor 1978)
and Peter Parnall with 3 titles: The Desert is Theirs (Honor 1976), Hawk I'm Your Brother (Honor 1977), The Way to Start a Day (Honor 1979).

Most conflicting feelings about a title: Arrow to the Sun (Winner 1975). I love the bold, graphic illustrations but am disappointed by the misrepresentation of Pueblo Indian Life.

Favorite New Read: The Treasure (Honor 1980)

Favorite Familiar Reads: Strega Nona (Honor 1976) & The Garden of Abdul Gasazi (Honor 1980)

Favorite year as a whole: 1980: Ox Cart Man, Ben's Trumpet, Garden of Abdul Gasazi, & The Treasure

1974

Medal Winner:

Duffy and the Devil

illustrated by Margot Zemach

retold by Harve Zemach