Animal Poetry

Fourth graders are beginning units on poetry this week. Several students came into the library, encouraged by their teachers, to take out poetry books.   I booktalked National Geographic's Book of Animal Poetry to one class. The book is organized by themes based on size, type, sound, and others with helpful icons to let you know what section you are in. It has breathtaking photography that National Geographic is oh so famous for that enhances the choice selection of poems. Needless to say, several students wanted to check it out. There will surely be a "stampede of students waiting for this book!

Kindergarten Nursery Rhyme Recital

Kindergarten students performed their Nursery Rhyme Recital today. Students spent two weeks learning and illustrating a nursery rhyme with a partner. As a culmination, they recited the rhyme in front of the class. To get them excited, I began  with an animated light show as a backdrop. There were many, "Wows!" as they entered the library. Students did a fine job reciting, applauding for their classmates, and bowing. We ended the show with some Ray Harryhausen Mother Goose stop-motion animated nursery rhymes.

Pie

In March, fifth graders will be going to Gordon School to participate in the annual Rooster Games. Students who read seven 2013 Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominees and report on them to their classroom teacher get to partake in the games. One fifth grader chose the RICBA nominee, Pie, for her MyQuest Book Club Book review assignment. I love how she described the book and how it inspired her to bake a pie with her Mom! Read the book review below:

"I read a fiction book called Pie by Sarah Weeks. It's about a girl named Alice who was inspired by her Aunt Polly's pie making. Aunt Polly dies and everyone is upset because she made the best pies in town and they want her famous pie crust recipe, so they can be the next pie contest winners. Everyone thought she left her pie crust recipe to her cat Lardo... but did she really? I recommend this book to anyone that loves to bake or loves to eat pies. This book contains real pie recipes that were contributed to the author by real people. My mother and I actually made the Apple Pie recipe and it tasted delicious! This book is great for anyone who wants to try new recipes, as well as, anyone who likes a good mystery." - A.M.