Newbery Award winner E. L. Konigsburg dead at 83

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I was very excited to get this review copy from Tiger Tales Books. I feel in love with another title (Roly-Poly-Egg) from author, Kali Stileman a few years back. Today, I had a few extra minutes with a Kindergarten class and I tired out Snack Time for Confetti. Confetti, was born at the end of Roly-Poly-Egg. However, this story is totally different and once again is delightful. This story is about a young bird name Confetti who is hungry. All her animal friends offer her different foods that they like but she does not like any of them. Each time she does not like a food she says, "Yuck". Kindergartens caught on to this phrase and were happy to keep repeating it. Finally her mother comes to the rescue with her favorite foods. The illustrations were what I found so charming about Roly-Poly-Egg and once again they are the hightlight of Snack Time for Confetti. Confetti was easily drawn by a classroom of kindergarden students. This book not only fits the classroom environment, but offers a lovely connection for a mother/child moment for Mother's Day. Check out my orignal post for Roly Poly Egg. http://missolibrary.blogspot.com/2011/03/roly-poly-egg.html

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Latest Study: A full-time school librarian makes a critical difference in boosting student achievement

 

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Middle School Maverick: NYC Librarian Deven Black on Partnerships, Principals, and Progress

 

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Bank Street CCL Announces Irma Black Award, Cook Prize Finalists

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American Library Association announces 2013 youth media award winners | American Libraries Magazine

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Morton McMichael School library re-opens after two decades | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

 

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"Little Bear" Author Else Homelund Minarik Dies at 91

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Kid Lit World Remembers Maurice Sendak

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Full-Time School Librarians Linked to Higher Student Reading Scores

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My first award as a teacher involved an evening for my school library with author Chris Raschka. This is one of my most memorable library experiences. It was am honor for myself and the parents and students involved. Congratulations for his new book A Ball for Daisy which received the 2012 Caldecott Award.

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Books Dance in Empty Bookstore - GalleyCat

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Former Educator Verne Oliver Helps Fix School Libraries - AARP Bulletin#.TwcVtHBiTys.email#.TwcVtHBiTys.email

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It’s Almost Friendiversary! Get Your Books Today!

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The Retired Kid by Jon Agee is a book I discovered a few years back.  I just got a renewed interest in this title because I received it as a gift for the holidays.  This a perfect read-aloud for the New Year.   Eight year old, Brian, decides he needs a break from life and takes off to the Happy Sunset Retirement Community in Florida. At first he is happy with all the things retirement has to offer.  But, he soon realizes it also comes with things that just don't relate to him.   After three weeks he decides that retirement is just not for him.   He misses the good old days.  Brian is happy to return home and be a kid, even if it is hard work.  Life is about challenges and they are different at all ages!

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This afternoon Macy's Department Store hosted a special read-aloud with children's book author, Melissa Sweet. Ms. Sweet introduced her new children's book, Balloons Over Broadway The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade. She read the story to a small, but eager group of listerners. They found out some interesting facts about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Did you know that the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade did not have balloons? It had real animals for the Central Park Zoo.The story centers around Tony Sarg and how he built the tradition we know today as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ms. Sweet has a complete activity kit on her website. She ended her presentation getting ideas for a balloon from the audience. She made it come alive with a magical drawing. Then there was a book signing. This book is great for use for the upcoming week. I have for the past week been talking about the Macy's Parade and I have also used two other fun books with both second and fourth graders. I had a wild response of laughter from second graders to A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea by Micheal Ivan Black (see previous post). I also led a fun creative writing activity with fourth graders based on Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm.Happy Thanksgiving! I will be thinking of this book as I watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade next Thursday morning. The art work from the book is also part of an exhibit at the Children's Museum of Manhattan until January. A perfect Thanksgiving weekend activity for children, Add a Comment

Alfie Kohn

, Alfie Kohn, education expert makes several very valued points about education. Most importantly, point #4 - The point of play is that it has no point. I didn't know whether to laugh or shudder when I read this sentence in a national magazine: "Kids need careful adult guidance and instruction before they are able to play in a productive way."[5] But I will admit that I, too, sometimes catch myself trying to justify play in terms of its usefulness.LET CHILDREN PLAY!

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There was an unexpected snowfall in New York a few weeks ago right before Halloween. It was unusual, however, as a person who loves the snow I didn't mind. I am hoping for a snowy December, January and February. This morning I picked up the Daily News to read an article titled, 50 years of "The Snowy Day". Was the October snow a special sign from children's author Ezra Jack Keats(died in 1983)? I think it might have been, as this year celebrates the 50 anniversary of his beloved children's book, The Snowy Day. The Snowy Day was created in 1963. Keats did things at this time that other children's book authors had not done. He protrayed an Africian-American child discovering snow. To some it mattered. However, many realized that the discovery of snow and the waiting for a huge snowstorm captures a response in all children. Peter in the Snowy Day captured this response and it has lived on for many years and many snowstorms!

The best part is the simple collage technique illustrations that can be easily taught to children. To celebrate the 50 anniversary the Jewish museum is holding a special exhibit honoring ERza Jack Keats. The exhibition is open until January 29, 2012. Make sure and pick a nice snowy day to visit.

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'How Rocket Learned to Read' Wins Irma Black Award

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Looking back at an old review to celebrate a new book.

http://missolibrary.blogspot.com/2009/05/afternoon-tea-review.html

Did you hear the exciting news? There is a sequel to The Teashop Girls, entitled The Secret Ingredient.

Check out the special contest!

http://teashopgirls.webnode.com/news/contest-/

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A few days ago a teacher friend emailed me to ask me if I had heard of Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes and attached was the youtube video (see sidebar). I had not heard of him. So I immediately looked on amazon for the book. To my surprise their was also a second book just released - Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes. Both books are written by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean. Find out more about James Dean and the inspiration for Pete on his website.

These are the perfect books for the start of the school year. Isn't this the time of year that every child is getting new shoes? Well in the first book Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes -


Pete the Cat was walking down the street in his brand new white shoes. Pete loved them so much he sang this song. "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes." Everytime Pete steps in something the color of his shoes changes and he sings a song for that color. Pete the Cat is a fun and catchy story that reinforces colors.



The second Pete the Cat book takes places in school and he visits my favorite place the LIBRARY! The tune to the Pete song is the same in the second book. It is equally enjoyable.










My very own Pete the Cat doll is looking forward to the first day of school so he can meet all his new Pre-k to Grade 1 friends.





Don't forget to download the song as well.

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Encouraging summer reading among students is always one of my goals. When students say I have no time to read. I always response you always have time to read. A teacher named Mr. Schu made a summer reading video that takes it to a new level. He drove over 6,000 miles and managed to read at almost every stop. He read in bookshops, libraries, and in front of America's wackiest attractions.


This is great inspiration for students everywhere! Check it out!

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Queens Librarian Fiddles On The Roof

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The Central Park Zoo has many special
things for visitors to see especially the animals. However, a short walk from the zoo's ticket window is the Delacorte Clock. It has stood in this spot since 1965 and features bronze animals including a penguin, two kangaroos, a bear, an elephant, a goat, and a hippo all playing different musical instruments.

This clock was the inspiration for a children's book titled, The Dancing Clock by Steve Metzger and John Abbott Nez. The clock captures the attention of one of the monkeys that lives at the zoo. Anyone that knows the zoo immediately realizes that the monkey exhibit is close enough for this to really happen(unless they moved it since my last visit). The monkey named Milo, wants to do nothing else but watch the clock. One day the zookeeper leaves the cage open and he escapes to dance and play with the animals on the clock. However, as the day comes to an end he realizes he is hungry and wants to get back inside the zoo. A special ending makes him realize how much fun it is to have real monkey friends.

A nice addition in the back also explains the Delacorte clock. One can also share some other adventures of how real zoo animals have escaped including a story about a peacock that escaped from the Central Park Zoo earlier this summer.

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