Qualifying Books for the Falcon Fall Reading Contest 2012

 Types of Books that Qualify for the Contest:

1. Any book under the Science Fiction Genre (To check if the book falls under Science Fiction look up your book in Destiny Quest.  Under “Narrow Your Search” click on “Genre.”  If “Science Fiction” is listed then the book qualifies.)
2. Any Mystery Genre book
3. Any Fiction books related to Fall or any Fall Holidays (Halloween, All Saints Day, Thanksgiving)
4. Any Scary Story Books (i.e. Goose Bumps # FIC STI)
5. Any Non-Fiction book related to Fall or any Fall Holidays (Halloween, All Saints Day, Thanksgiving)
6. Any Non-Fiction Books related to myths of monsters (i.e. Zombies # 398 KRE)
7. Any Non-Fiction Books related to animals, insects, arachnids, or reptiles related to the Fall Holidays previously mentioned (i.e. Spinning Spiders # 595.4 BER)
8. Any Fiction or Non-Fiction Books related to Fall Sports including Football, Soccer, and Basketball

If you have a question about whether or not a book qualifies for the contest, please ask the librarian!

 

Qualifying Book Reviews:

1. Your review must state something you specifically liked or disliked about the book.  It must convey that you have read the book! (i.e. I really liked this book because it had an unexpected ending.  Or, I didn’t like this book because the main character was too arrogant.) 
2. If your book review is too short and not descriptive (for example, This book was good) it will not be accepted.  You will have to rewrite the review for it to qualify and help you earn raffle tickets.
3. If your review spoils the ending of the story, your review will not qualify.
4. If your review does not appear in Destiny Quest within 4 days of you writing it, then your review has either been rejected and you must rewrite it, or you must check with your librarian.
5. Book reviews should be a minimum of 1-2 sentences long. 

Batty for Books

First Grade designs bats after reading Bats at the Library by Brian Lies.  Students imagined what it would be like to be a bat in the library.  Would they read or would they play?  First Graders designed bats with books (including call numbers!) that they themselves would enjoy reading if they sneaked into a library late at night. 

This student's bat pays tribute to Brian Lies & the story that inspired the craft.

Book titles included favorite stories, spooky subjects, and even some clever puns, such as Bat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.

Whether you are at home, at the library, or at the park, take time to read some books that make you batty!  Looking for more books by Brian Lies?  He has written other Bat stories including Bats at the Ballgame.

Falcon Fall Reading Contest 2012 Commences!

Logging Onto Destiny Quest from Home

1.  For quick access, click on this link: https://stphiliptheapostle.follettdestiny.com/common/welcome.jsp?context=saas20_0403174

2.  Click on "St. Philip the Apostle School," which should take you to the Destiny Quest homepage.  If unsure about whether or not you are on the correct page, click on "Quest Home."

3.  On the same panel you will see a tab that says "Login."  You must be logged in in order to write a book review.

4.  Usernames are the students' first initial followed by the whole last name in lower case.  Punctuation is ignored.  For example, the username for John Smith's would be jsmith and Jane D'souza's would be "jdsouza."

5.  Each student from grades 1-8 have already created a password.  If they have forgotten their password, they must come to the library to be reminded of their password OR request a new password.  Once logged on, use the search bar to locate the book you have read.  The title should appear as a small icon, sometimes accompanied with a picture of the book's cover.  Click on the title you wish to review.

6.  A new screen with "Title Details" will pop up.  Make sure that you have clicked on the tab "Reviews."

7.  Once on the proper tab, click on "Add Review."

8.  Another screen will appear asking for you to rate the book and leave a comment.  Each student must accompany their star rating by writing a minimum of 1-2 sentences using details to describe why they liked or disliked the book.  To simply write, "This book is awesome!" or "I do not like this book." is not acceptable because there are no details describing why the book is awesome or why you don't like it.   When writing reviews, students should aim to help future students know whether or not it is a book they would enjoy and should spend time reading.

9.  Once the review is written, click "Save."  The review will be sent to the librarian for final approve.  Once approved, the review will appear on Destiny Quest and the student will earn the amount of raffle tickets corresponding to the book read.

Please stay tuned for further updates and details!  Happy Reading!

What Viking Would You Be?

Just came across this 2011 book release but thought it'd be great to share in 2012.  Recent movies are making the Norse Viking Myths capture the attention of youth of all ages. 

Delve into the Norse Myths and exercise your imagination as you read this book! 
What games will it inspire you to play?

Happy Year of Faith!

Pope Benedict XVI has declared that Oct. 11, 2012-Nov. 24, 2013 be the Year of Faith. 

You are summoned to a deeper conversion and a renewal of your faith.  Rediscover Catholicism! 
What treasures will you uncover?

God has opened the door of faith for each one of us and asks us to GO DEEPER!  Some suggestions for things you and your family can do to make this Year of Faith a time of renewal:

• Receive the Sacraments
• When was the last time you went to Confession? 
• Can you make time to celebrate Mass more than just on Sundays?
• Set aside time to pray alone or with your family 
• How can you deepen your relationship with the Lord?  Spend time talking with Him and listening to Him.
• Read the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Learn about the lives of the Saints

For more helpful suggestions, videos, and information on the Year of Faith, please visit http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/.

Book for Your Sweet Tooth

How do you sort your candy?  Do you organize your candy by color, type, least favorite to favorite, or a different method altogether?

Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson made second grade think about what they do with their Halloween candy after trick-or-treating.  

Sorting candy can be very challenging!

Whether you share, hide, or eat your Halloween candy, consider reading this book as an additional treat to your day!  This book received an average rating of "One Thumb Up" from 2B.  Please feel free to let us know how you and your child would rate this book!

Promise Not to Tell?

Good secrets, bad secrets.  Third grade discusses CONFIDENTIALITY after reading
The Secret Olivia Told Me by N. Joy

Awarded the ALA Coretta Scott King Honor, this book uses striking illustrations and poetry to catch the reader's attention and raise serious questions about secrecy.

 
Does your child know that he or she can confide in you?  While passwords should be kept secret, some secrets must be shared! 

Take time to strengthen the pathways of communication between you and your loved ones so that secrets that should not be kept private can be exposed and even save lives.