Raold Dahl Day

There are many times when I am thankful for the fact that I have started using Twitter. When I first started tweeting it was with my personal account. It was just...ok! It wasn't until I started using it for the Falcon's Fables as a way to connect with my fellow teacher librarians that I starting realizing its full potential.

Case in point, I logged into Twitter today and immediately noticed many tweets with the #roalddahlday. After reading them and investigating I realized that today is the anniversary of Roald Dahls birthday. Now really, who isn't a Roald Dahl fan? There is at least one book out there by him that you have read and really enjoyed. I'm not the biggest Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  fan (blasphemy, I know!) but I simply adore Matilda! I had to get in on the Roald Dahl Day action. I did a quick scan of my lesson plans and realized that I had left KA open for a free day, perfect! I quickly went about the room pulling all our Roald Dahl books off the shelf. I took a quick instagram photo to tweet and post on Facebook and then decided how I would introduce The Man to the children.

Roald Dahl

Thankfully, our only biography on Roald Dahl is Roald Dahl: A Life of Imagination  by Jennifer Boothroyd. This series of biographies is written especially for young children. After introducing them to Roald Dahl, I asked if they had ever heard of him. I got a lot of blank stares. Ok, I know young children don't always pay attention to the authors of their favorite books. Next I mentioned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  which of course brought on shouts of "I love that movie" or "oh yeah I saw that one on tv". Ok good, so they do know The Man even if they don't know it yet.

Next we read The Enormous Crocodile. This story is about an incredibly hungry and not very nice crocodile. His favorite meal is a plump juicy little child. On his journey to gobble up as many children as he can, the crocodile encounters different animals who find him to be greedy, mean and disgusting. Thankfully, those same animals manage to foil the crocodiles secret plans and clever tricks. I've never witnessed a group of kindergarteners so enthralled with a book. Hardly anyone fidgeted and everyone payed close attention. Truly Roald Dahl does have a way with the imagination.

My favorite moment of the morning was when one of the children looked over to my book display carefully investigating every Roald Dahl book. At last his eyes rested on The Roald Dahl Treasury with its cover of various characters reading different book. He carefully raised his hand with excitement and when called upon exclaimed, "I love The BFG! Do you know The BFG because I know him and love him." Then turning to his classmates our little kindergartener said "Do you know the best thing about The BFG? If Ms. Natalie were to stand next to him she would be teeny tiny".

The BFG

Yes I know The Big Friendly Giant as well as many other famous Roald Dahl characters. They are all special to me and many children young and old. Happy birthday Mr. Dahl, you're The Man!

Great Books to Read Over the Summer (K-2)

This fictional story is based on the life of Mary Ann Goodnight, a pioneer who in the late 1800's felt there was a need to save the buffalo from extinction. The character in the book is called Molly and it is only after she discovers two abandoned buffalo calves that she slowly starts the first heard of domestic buffalo.

 Jenny and the other city mice decide to go live by the sea where it is more peaceful. At first their new home seems perfect but soon they discover their island is not abandoned and they must contend with The Skog. Is he as scary as they all fear?

A simple book about Hondo the dog and Fabian the cat. Follow their daily actions from eating to sleeping, contending with baby and playing with friends. It is the illustrations by Peter McCarty that make this book a dream to read.

The Chinese have an ancient tradition of kite flying. This book follows a family as they create a dragon kite one windy summer day. As they watch the dragon soar in the sky and talk to the wind, they wonder what he is saying. 

This book is always a fun read!
A boy named Louis, his Uncle McAllister and a "wee bit of Scotland" in the form of a mysterious tadpole named Alphonse. Louis tries his best to nurture and feed Alphonse but when he starts to grow out of control Uncle Mc Allister admits that the tadpole came from a lake known as Loch Ness. Read along as Louis tries his best to build a safe and happy home for his beloved pet. 












The story of a boy who finds a treasure. When he discovers that people are after his treasure he creates Frog Belly Rat Bone, protector of the specks that are his treasure! This book is whimsical and fun. Timothy Basil Ering does a wonderful job of inspiring imagination and wonder.

Thank You!

Well another book fair has come and gone. It is probably one of my favorite events. I just adore seeing children and parents getting excited over books. As part of the St. Philip's book fair tradition parents are given the opportunity to purchase books for the classrooms and library. I thought I would give a shout out to the people who donated to the library. So here goes....

Donated by Alisa Balian

Donated by Alexander Balian

Donated by The Norton Family

Donated by Roxanne Key

Thank you for the wonderful books!

Mole's Hill

I am starting to introduce the Kindergarten classes to the difference between Author and Illustrator. I make it a habit of reading the Title, Author and Illustrator before I start reading a book. Most times the children love repeating back the names to me. It seem that people who write books don't have common names. This week I am focusing on the job of an illustrator. I try to get the kindergarten classes to look at a picture and decide why the illustrator decided to use that type of art. It isn't uncommon for the children to think that all pictures are painted or drawn. They don't tend to realize that the illustrator of a book can use many different types of artistic expression to get their point across. I love to introduce them to books where the art work isn't typical. One of my favorite examples is Mole's Hill by Lois Ehlert.

Lois Ehlert is known for her beautiful collage artwork. Her text is always simple, highlighted by vivid colors and texture. Mole's Hill is perhaps lesser known then her more famous works, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Color Zoo yet, I believe it to be the better of the three.

ribbon applique

The story is based on a Seneca tale called "When Friends Fall Out". The story is set in the woodlands of Wisconsin and the illustrations are inspired by the Woodland Indian's artwork. Typical art forms used by the Woodland Indians are ribbon applique and sewn bead work. Clearly, the geometric patterns and shapes of Ehlerts book are meant to mimic the same patterns and shapes used by the Native American's who inspired the story.  Ehlert also took special care to represent the plants and animals found in the Wisconsin woods in her book. They are beautifully illustrated with bright color cut outs and textured paint.

It always take the kindergartner's a few minutes after reading the book to figure out how the pictures are made. Usually, I hear photos, paint, drawing. I ask them to look closer and pass the book around. Eventually one child, in great excitement yells out, "it is paper!"

How I start off the new school year

I like to start every new school year by reading a book about libraries to the students. This year I choose The Library by Sarah Stewart. I am often discovering library books that I didn't know we had. This is one such book.  After reading it I was charmed by the sweet and engaging pictures as well as the rhyming sequences.

Elizabeth Brown doesn't like to play with dolls, and she doesn't like to skate. What does Elizabeth Brown like to do? She likes to read lots and lots of books. The story follows Elizabeth from birth, when she dropped out of the sky to old age when she donates her house and books to her town.

I love the pictures by David Small. This is one of those books that ask you to take a close look and find hidden objects within the main picture story. In almost every illustration we see Elizabeth's teddy bear. Often times the bear is imitating her. There are also lots of cats and even a few dogs hidden in each photo.

The rhymes help children anticipate the story. Most classes who have heard the story end up finishing the sentences for me.


"Elizabeth Brown
Walked into town
that very afternoon.


Elizabeth Brown
Walked into town
Whistling a happy tune.


She didn't want a bicycle,
She didn't want silk bows.
She went strait to the courthouse-
'May I have one of those?'


The form was for donations.
She quickly wrote this line:
'I, E. Brown, give to the town
All that was ever mine.'"

If you have not read this book, I highly recommend you check it out as well as other books by husband and wife team Sarah Stewart and David Small.

Things Have Been Busy and Cinderella!

First let me apologize for the lack of posts lately. Now that I work part time I find  my other library duties make it difficult to find time to blog. On top of that Drama Club is preparing for our spring musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. I am knee deep in costumes, sets and props. Not to mention singing and dancing.

Second, as usual my daily life has inspired me in the library. We all know the Disney version of Cinderella and some of us may recognize that the Brother's Grimm version is slightly different. But the tale of Cinderella has a rich history that translates to different societies with many versions of the same basic story.

Cinderella is probably one of the most well known folk tales.  The characteristics of folklore include stories that are common among a group of people and are often past down from generation to generation. There are around 1000 different versions of Cinderella, the earliest coming from China. Tuan Ch'eng-shih wrote down the Chinese tale sometime in the ninth century (850-860 CE) But that does not mean he created the story. He simply was the first to put the tale on paper. The Chinese people had been telling the story of a Yeh-Shen and her magical fish for as long as they could remember. The theme of the story is the same as the Cinderella story of today. Yeh-Shen is unappreciated and unloved. Her magical fish gives her the opportunity to meet the prince who recognizes her worth from her golden shoe.

The Disney version of Cinderella comes from the folktale written down by Charles Perrault. Written in 1697 Contes de ma Mere L'Oye introduces the Fairy Godmother, the pumpkin carriage, animal helpers and the glass slipper. In this version Cinderella and her kind heart takes pity on her step sisters and finds them husbands too.

Another famous version of Cinderella is interpreted by the Brothers Grimm. This German version also goes by the name Ash Girl and is dark in nature. There is no Fairy Godmother but instead a magical tree planted by Cinderella at her mother's grave. After Cinderella gets her prince the stepsisters eyes are pecked out by birds living in the tree as punishment for their cruelty toward Cinderella.

St. Philip's Drama Club is doing the Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical version of Cinderella. There is a Godmother and pumpkin coach but no true animal helpers. I hope you come out and see our production. If you are curious to read other Cinderella tales the library has a few different versions including

• Little Gold Star by Robert San Souci
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Grimm's Fairy Tales Abridged
• The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
• Cinderella's Rat by Susan Meddaugh
• Trollerella by Karen M. Bourgeios 

For more information on the history of Cinderella visit this site!
http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/forashs.html

Owney

I thought I would share another new library book with you. Owney The Mail-Pouch Pooch by Mona Kerby is based on a real 19th century dog who became famous for guarding the U.S. Mail. It is amazing to think that there was a real little terrier mix dog who loved mail pouches and railroad cars so much he made a life of traveling and ensuring the mail was safe.

Mona Kerby does an excellent job of piecing together the many tales of Owney's travels. From jumping rail cars to travel the world Owney led an exciting life. He was not just one person's pet because he was fiercely independent. No one ever knew where he would show up but when he did he was honored with medals and tags that soon made his collar very heavy. Owney refused to take off his medals so one kind postman made him a special harness to help him carry his medals around. 

Owney was so well loved that when he died he was preserved for the world to remember him. He now lives in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.

I hope you take the time to read this special story of Owney, the dog that traveled the world guarding the U.S. Mail.

Duck

We just recieved a small shipment of new books. Most of the books have been requested by various children. But I also ordered a few that looked cute, cool and interesting. Today I read one of our new picture books to Kindergarten. Let me tell you, I was simply delighted with Duck by Randy Cecil and I believe the Kindergarteners were too!

The illustrations are done in oil and are vibrant yet soft at the same time giving it a dreamlike appearance. The story is of Duck, a carousel animal who longs to fly. While she dreams of flying like a real duck she knows she cannot. One day a lost duckling wanders into the amusement park and catches Ducks attention. Soon Duck and Duckling are inseparable. Duck takes Duckling under her wing, mothering him and teaching him. You will be touched by the mother and child theme the author takes and perhaps even cry a little when Duck realizes the most important thing for Duckling is to teach him how to fly, even though it means being left behind. I won't lie, my eyes teared up a bit while reading to Kindergarten.

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction

The 2nd grade class is starting to learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. Most of the students already know that non-fiction books are "real" and fiction books are "make believe". The question is how can they tell which type it is just by looking at the book? You have all heard the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover". It couldn't be more true than when you are trying to decipher a fiction book from a non-fiction book. Can you tell which of the following books are fiction and which are non-fiction?

You might be surprised at the books that are actually fiction and the ones that are truly non-fiction. When you are in a library the easiest way to tell is to look at the call number. A call number is the label on the spine of the book that provides you with the location or "address" of the book. It tells you where the book lives on the library's shelves. But, because library books are organized by type of book,  the call number also tells you what kind of book it is. Not all libraries are the same but most of them use the Dewey Decimal System to label non-fiction books and some sort of locator symbol to label fiction books. Here is how the St. Philip's library works.

Fiction has one of the three locator symbols: FIC, E or YA

Non-fiction has one of the following: Number, REF or B

And they all stand for something

FIC: fiction
E: easy reader
YA: young adult
Number: example 509.893
REF: reference
B: biography

So what are the books I posted above?

Call number: 598 STE (non-fiction because of the Dewey number)

"In a simple yet informative language, award-winning children's science writer Melissa Stewart introduces readers to some of the ways human action or inaction can affect bird populations. More than just a book about birds, A Place For Birds will open readers' minds to a wide range of environmental issues."

Call number: 598 ARN (non-fiction because of the Dewey number)

"Birds:Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines looks at how feathers, body structure, and wings vary from bird to bird. Readers will learn the mechanics of bird flight from takeoff to landing and discover how wing types meet the survival needs of each species."        

Call number: E PEN (fiction because of the E for easy reader)

Ming-Li a Chinese girl is devastated to hear her country's leader had call sparrows the enemy of the farmers and soon announce a great "sparrow war" to banish them from China. While her village gathered to rid itself of sparrows Ming-Li vows to save the sparrow's, one by one,  no matter the consequences.

This tale is based on the true story of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung's war on sparrows in 1958. Yet Ming-Li is a made up character as are her actions making the book a work of fiction. In reality the sparrow population in China was decimated in three days leading to a growth in the locust population that ended up contributing to a famine that killed between thirty to forty million Chinese over the next three years.

                          

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

"Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los Muertos rise from their coffins to join the fun. Los Esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance though the door. And the scariest creatures of all? Wait until you see them!"

This book is a little bit Halloween and a little bit Day of the Dead but mostly it is a whole lot of fun! The narration  is poetic and the illustrations are haunting with a traditional Mexican flair. I enjoy reading this book to different classes for Halloween because of the mix of Spanish and English words. Perhaps the text is a bit redundant but it never seems to bother the children. I prefer having both the English and Spanish words because I am not very good with Spanish!

"At medianoche midnight strikes-
The witching hour the werewolf likes.
The bloodhounds bay, los perros howl.
Beware! The wolfman's on the prowl."

This book won the Pura Belpré Award for both illustration and text. The Pura Belpré award is given annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. I definitely agree Los Gatos Black on Halloween  has all that and more. The children love to see their favorite Halloween characters celebrating one of their favorite holidays.

Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat

I always enjoy a good folktale with a lesson to be learned. As a librarian I am constantly reading the books in the library. Sometimes I feel like I have read so many books that it is impossible for me to find ones I haven't read. The truth is that our small library will always have books that remain a mystery to me because I haven't opened their pages.

The other day a first grader was diligently looking for a certain book. A junior high student happened to be in the library at the time and took the first grader under her wing. You see, the first graders just learned how to look up books on the computer. They haven't yet mastered the steps beyond searching for a book. It can be quite confusing to have to choose a book and then locate the call number. By the time this first grader decided on the book it was almost time to go. The junior high student helped him locate the book just as we were lining up. Now, our poor little first grader, who spent such a long time looking for the book really wanted to read it. We weren't checking out that day and I had another class coming in. So the junior high student suggested he ask if I could save the book. Meekly I was asked if the book can be saved. Of course I said yes!

So what is the point? Well, the book has been sitting on my desk for a few days now and I just realized I myself, have never read this particular book. Just looking at the cover I can see why our little first grader was so interested in Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat. The artwork is done in the Chinese style. The colors are vibrant and expressive. There are many details on each page that highlight cute Chinese, Siamese kittens.

The story is about an ancient Chinese cat family that was forced to work for an unhappy Magistrate. This sad Magistrate made the townspeople very unhappy by passing laws that made their lives difficult and miserable. Finally, things turn around when Sagwa, one of the kittens, accidentally changes a new law for the better. The townspeople are so thankful they express their joy to the Magistrate who in turns grows a happy heart. Sagwa is celebrated and all learn that the road to happiness is paved with good deeds.

Bats in the Library

Every year I look forward to Halloween. It is certainly my favorite holiday. I love decorating the library and reading the children Halloween stories. Usually I stretch cobwebs all over my desk. They extend from shelf to shelf giving the library a haunted look. This year is no exception. The first of October came around and I had out my cobwebs and spiders.

While walking into the library today one of the kindergarteners exclaimed, while flapping his jacket wings,  "WOW! I sure am glad there are webs in here cause I am a bat!"  I had to laugh because one, my spiders and cobwebs have never made me think of bats before and two, because I had planned to read a "batty" book. I love when little things in life manage to tie into each other unexpectedly.

Bats at the Library written and Illustrated by Brian Lies is a charming book depicting a group of bats who learn that the local librarian has left a window open. The bats love "Bat Night at the Library", often hoping the librarian will forget to shut her window. They fly in ready to explore and read their favorite books. The best part of their adventure is story time, when each bat becomes lost in the world of imagination.

Brian Lies' illustrations draw you in with a beautiful combination of texture and light. That bats seem to glow in the darkness. This book is perfect to read on a cozy rainy day by the fire. Young and old will be charmed by the bats adventure into the world of books and imagination.

Come on FALL!

According to the calendar it is Fall. The time of year for frosty nights and chilly winds. Where we in Southern California hope to see some leaves change colors. We start buying pumpkins and planning our Halloween costumes. Its the time to enjoy fall sweaters with jeans and boots.

SO WHY IS IT SO SO SO SO HOT?!?!?!? Doesn't the earth realize that the calendar has changed. We have moved from Summer to FALL. "Aye yai yai" Apparently the earth isn't dictated by human inventions such as the calendar!

Since I AM dictated by the calendar (especially since I work at a school) I am going to stick firmly to the idea that it is indeed the Fall. In my imagination I am wearing a cute sweater with jeans and boots. I am surrounded by pumpkins and pine cones. I am browsing the library shelves for books about the fall....

...And what do I find? Fletcher and the Falling Leaves. This is one of my favorite books and quite an ironic find considering my current mood of longing for signs of Fall. Fletcher is a young fox who notices that the world around him is changing. Fletcher becomes very concerned when his favorite tree starts to look dry and brown. His mother explains that it is only Autumn and that the tree will be fine. While Fletcher tries to comfort the tree and have faith in his mother he becomes positively alarmed when the wind starts blowing the leaves off the tree. Poor Fletcher tries in vain to rescue the leaves and heal the tree.

"Round and round and round whirled Fletcher after the swirling leaves"

This is an adorable book about change and growing up. It teaches that each change is a bit of a miracle and the end result could be just as beautiful as the beginning. Truly this book warms the heart. With patience and careful education Fletcher begins to understand life.

While Fletcher and I differ, I am slightly desperate for the change of season and Fletcher is saddened and scared by it, I believe the hardest part of the process is waiting for whats next. Whether it is a well traveled experience, I myself have witnessed 27 changes of season, or your first time, patience makes the change all the better. You just might learn to enjoy change no matter how slow or fast it may be.

Welcome to the 2010-2011 School Year!

There are a lot of things in store this year for the SP Library. As I look around our space I am happy to see full shelves with books just waiting to be opened. Three short years ago our little library hardly existed and now there are books on every shelf. As the students start coming back to the library they will be given the opportunity to explore the different sections and look at books. We will also be reviewing book care and how to be a good library citizen. 

For Kindergarten this is an entirely new adventure. The next few weeks will be spent listening to school and library stories. One of my favorites is Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. This alphabet book that takes the reader through the first day of kindergarten and explores how the teacher and students prepare for the big day.  

Welcome to the NEW SCHOOL YEAR!

Our Last Librarian of the Day.

As the school year rapidly comes to an end we welcomed our very last librarian of the day. Corinne Gray, 1st grader, was a delight to have as temporary librarian. She was happy and friendly with every student loving her beautiful smiles. As always I pass off the blog to her. Thank you Corinne!

My name is Corinne. I won Librarian for the Day at the auction. I got to check out books for other people. I got to read some books. I played on the computer. My favorite book in the library is There is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems. I like this book because at the end the pigeon from Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is eating a hot dog in the birds nest. You can have lots of fun at the library. Sometimes it is crazy. Sometimes it is quiet but you can do anything. Bye Bye!!!