Greetings!
This week I am giving you some great titles that are new and also ones that might be a bit obscure for you.
The first title is a picture book, but it is not just for younger children. There is a lot of information in Energy Island by Allan Drummond. The island of Samso, Denmark is a very windy place and over time the people have harnessed the energy of the wind to power nearly everything on the island. The drawings are a bit cartoonish, but still appealing to all ages.
Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg is the true story of Annie Edson Taylor and her planned trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The pencil drawings in sepia tones give a historical bent to this achievement. I only hope that children won’t read this and decide to try it for themselves!
Don Brown has written a story from history about the Gold Rush titled Gold! Gold from the American River! The cover of the book looks a bit like the heading of a newspaper. The illustrations are cartoonish, but the information is really for middle and upper grades. Younger children will enjoy the story too, but it is really intended for all ages. Coming soon in the same format and by Don Brown is the story of the day the Twin Towers fell titled America is Under Attack. The book will be available in August.
My Librarian is a Camel by Margriet Ruurs is a good book to share with students about how libraries work in other parts of the world. I read an article about a library in Kenya where books are brought by camel every two weeks to the nomadic people there and got interested in this. This book is one of the treasures I found in my research on that. You might enjoy the novel The Camel Librarian by Masha Hamilton also. I would call it a ‘beach read’, but not a book for our school libraries.
Young children lose teeth and usually put it under their pillow and find some money the next morning left by the tooth fairy. But what do children in other countries do when they lose a tooth? This next book Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World lets us know exactly that. Anyone want to be visited by the Tooth Rat?! The back of the book includes information about teeth, also. Again, this is not just for younger children. Older ones will get a kick out of the different traditions. It might be something interesting to include in the study of the different countries.
Who Stole the Mona Lisa? By Ruthie Knapp. Can you imagine stealing a painting as famous as the Mona Lisa? What in the world would you do with it? This is the story of the man who did steal Mona Lisa in 1911. This would be great to include in a study of Leonardo da Vinci or portrait art or even just as a good story.
If you need books on the Iditarod, you probably have Togo or Balto. Now there is a new one called Painter and Ugly by Robert J. Blake who wrote Togo and Akiak. Painter and Ugly is about two dog friends racing in the Junior Iditarod race. Mr. Blake got the idea after he met a real dog named Painter whose best dog friend is Ugly. Ugly had been sold to a different team and Blake wondered what if Painter and his best friend were both in the same race?
I hope you enjoy these books. I may have more for you next week.
Audrey
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Hello,
A few weeks ago one of you emailed me and asked if I had any ideas for finding some Christian based DVDs on Volcanoes, Earth's features, rocks, and minerals. I finally had the time to sit and research this on the computer and found some information on this subject. Please note that I haven’t previewed these DVDs or purchased them myself. It may be that if you order them, you can get your money back if they aren’t what you need. I would certainly ask for this if I were you. Also, I hope that you do preview any movie that you show to kids. I learned this lesson myself.
I started my research by typing ‘Christian DVD earth science’ in the search engine. Here are some of the DVDs that I found that looked like they would be good for our SDA schools.
I found these and more at Christianbook.com.
1. The Awesome Forces of God’s Creation – 3 DVD set. Published by Moody.
2. Global Warming: A Scientific and Biblical Expose of Climate Change. Published by Answers in Genesis.
3. The Ice Age: Only the Bible Explains It. Published by Answers in Genesis.
I found another website called ‘Sing ‘N Learn (www.singnlearn.org) that had a DVD called Earth Science. One reviewer commented that there was no evolutionary material in the DVD. There is other teaching material there, also. The phone number of this site is 1-800-460-1973.
I also found quite a few DVDs at Christiandvd.com. From the Home page, look on the left sidebar and click ‘Teaching’, then click ‘Science’. You will be on a page that has a nice variety of Christian DVDs on science.
The last site I found was www.sixdaycreation.com/cms . There is a wealth of information on Christian based science and I found it to really interesting to look around on this site.
If anyone has found this information already and has a good source for purchasing them, please let me know and I will be happy to pass it along to the group.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
A few weeks ago one of you emailed me and asked if I had any ideas for finding some Christian based DVDs on Volcanoes, Earth's features, rocks, and minerals. I finally had the time to sit and research this on the computer and found some information on this subject. Please note that I haven’t previewed these DVDs or purchased them myself. It may be that if you order them, you can get your money back if they aren’t what you need. I would certainly ask for this if I were you. Also, I hope that you do preview any movie that you show to kids. I learned this lesson myself.
I started my research by typing ‘Christian DVD earth science’ in the search engine. Here are some of the DVDs that I found that looked like they would be good for our SDA schools.
I found these and more at Christianbook.com.
1. The Awesome Forces of God’s Creation – 3 DVD set. Published by Moody.
2. Global Warming: A Scientific and Biblical Expose of Climate Change. Published by Answers in Genesis.
3. The Ice Age: Only the Bible Explains It. Published by Answers in Genesis.
I found another website called ‘Sing ‘N Learn (www.singnlearn.org) that had a DVD called Earth Science. One reviewer commented that there was no evolutionary material in the DVD. There is other teaching material there, also. The phone number of this site is 1-800-460-1973.
I also found quite a few DVDs at Christiandvd.com. From the Home page, look on the left sidebar and click ‘Teaching’, then click ‘Science’. You will be on a page that has a nice variety of Christian DVDs on science.
The last site I found was www.sixdaycreation.com/cms . There is a wealth of information on Christian based science and I found it to really interesting to look around on this site.
If anyone has found this information already and has a good source for purchasing them, please let me know and I will be happy to pass it along to the group.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Teacher's Choices 2011
Hello,
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post, but I was attending the International Reading Association convention. It was held in Orlando, Florida, so the weather was sunny, hot, and humid. It was wonderful although I am glad to be back in the Pacific Northwest again. While I was there, I got some great ideas for promoting reading, and also a long list of books that I suddenly decided I must have. I thought that I would share some of those titles with you this week.
One session I attended was the Teacher’s Choices 2011. These are books read by and chosen by teachers who deemed them exceptional for curriculum use. They were book talked by teachers who were on the committee. I have read some of these titles, but not all of them. I will give the same blurb found in my handout. You can find this and more information on other books at http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists/teacherschoices.aspx . On this page is information about all the Teacher’s Choice books since 1998.
Primary Readers – Grades K – 2 – Ages 5 – 8
Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds. Philomel.
Told from a young boy’s point of view, we hear the story of Rosa Parks and her determination to keep her seat on the bus on Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. The language is authentic. Oil painting illustrations magnify the story.
The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, Edward by Kathleen Krull. Simon & Schuster.
Three ordinary brothers led three extraordinary lives. The Kennedys were raised to believe that they could change things for the better and with their tireless efforts, they did.
The Falling Raindrop by Neil Johnson and Joel Chin. Tricycle.
This is a simple story explaining the science of the water cycle. One little raindrop is falling to earth and is excited to be alive. However, he then worries about crashing. This story demonstrates how one should live life to the fullest.
Lily’s Victory Garden by Helen L. Wilbur. Sleeping Bear.
This World War II story emphasizes how one girl takes action in her own community by growing a vegetable garden. She asks a neighbor for a plot of land to use. Friendship is bestowed on a woman who has lost her son in the war and working in the garden heals her sorrow. The seed packet artwork adds to the story and shows that one person, no matter how young, can truly make a difference.
My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete. Scholastic.
Told from a little girl’s point of view, we see what it is like for her twin brother to have autism: “Kids with autism are valuable human beings with real feelings even though they can’t always express them.” This heartwarming story can be shared with children of all ages.
Seed Soil Sun by Cris Peterson. Boyds Mills.
This book has vibrant photographs with lots of details for children to see. It opens with hands showing a wide variety of seeds. We then watch corn grow. This book complements science curricula and demonstrates where food actually comes from rather than just the grocery store.
Intermediate Readers – Grades 3 – 5 – Ages 8 – 11
Bag in the Wind by Ted Kooser. Candlewick.
This book showcases environmental awareness through the travels of a plastic shopping bag. People in the United States use 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year. This book could be used for sequence lessons. After reading this story, you will definitely think differently about using plastic shopping bags.
The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George. Dutton.
Incorporating history and environmental awareness, we learn what happens when the prairie environment is decimated and nearly all buffalo are killed. A herd of 300 buffalo survive to begin the renewal of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, a protected patch of land, in Kansas. Thanks to this assertive effort, there are more than 200,000 buffalo in existence today. Brilliant watercolor illustrations illustrate this story.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel.
Told from the point of view of 10-year-old Caitlin, we learn firsthand what it is like to deal with Asperger’s syndrome. A shooting in middle school took the life of her beloved older brother. Now Caitlin searches for closure for herself and her dad. (Note: this book contains a shooting, and may not be what you want in your library. I put this in because ALL the teachers who read it kept talking about it and I figured you could read it for yourself and decide if it will be appropriate for your school library.)
These titles are all taken from the 2011 Teacher’s Choices brochure. I will finish this section next week. I hope you are having a good week.
Library Announcement: This is the time to begin collecting all the library books and have them returned to school. School will be out in only three weeks.
Audrey
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post, but I was attending the International Reading Association convention. It was held in Orlando, Florida, so the weather was sunny, hot, and humid. It was wonderful although I am glad to be back in the Pacific Northwest again. While I was there, I got some great ideas for promoting reading, and also a long list of books that I suddenly decided I must have. I thought that I would share some of those titles with you this week.
One session I attended was the Teacher’s Choices 2011. These are books read by and chosen by teachers who deemed them exceptional for curriculum use. They were book talked by teachers who were on the committee. I have read some of these titles, but not all of them. I will give the same blurb found in my handout. You can find this and more information on other books at http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists/teacherschoices.aspx . On this page is information about all the Teacher’s Choice books since 1998.
Primary Readers – Grades K – 2 – Ages 5 – 8
Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds. Philomel.
Told from a young boy’s point of view, we hear the story of Rosa Parks and her determination to keep her seat on the bus on Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. The language is authentic. Oil painting illustrations magnify the story.
The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, Edward by Kathleen Krull. Simon & Schuster.
Three ordinary brothers led three extraordinary lives. The Kennedys were raised to believe that they could change things for the better and with their tireless efforts, they did.
The Falling Raindrop by Neil Johnson and Joel Chin. Tricycle.
This is a simple story explaining the science of the water cycle. One little raindrop is falling to earth and is excited to be alive. However, he then worries about crashing. This story demonstrates how one should live life to the fullest.
Lily’s Victory Garden by Helen L. Wilbur. Sleeping Bear.
This World War II story emphasizes how one girl takes action in her own community by growing a vegetable garden. She asks a neighbor for a plot of land to use. Friendship is bestowed on a woman who has lost her son in the war and working in the garden heals her sorrow. The seed packet artwork adds to the story and shows that one person, no matter how young, can truly make a difference.
My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete. Scholastic.
Told from a little girl’s point of view, we see what it is like for her twin brother to have autism: “Kids with autism are valuable human beings with real feelings even though they can’t always express them.” This heartwarming story can be shared with children of all ages.
Seed Soil Sun by Cris Peterson. Boyds Mills.
This book has vibrant photographs with lots of details for children to see. It opens with hands showing a wide variety of seeds. We then watch corn grow. This book complements science curricula and demonstrates where food actually comes from rather than just the grocery store.
Intermediate Readers – Grades 3 – 5 – Ages 8 – 11
Bag in the Wind by Ted Kooser. Candlewick.
This book showcases environmental awareness through the travels of a plastic shopping bag. People in the United States use 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year. This book could be used for sequence lessons. After reading this story, you will definitely think differently about using plastic shopping bags.
The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George. Dutton.
Incorporating history and environmental awareness, we learn what happens when the prairie environment is decimated and nearly all buffalo are killed. A herd of 300 buffalo survive to begin the renewal of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, a protected patch of land, in Kansas. Thanks to this assertive effort, there are more than 200,000 buffalo in existence today. Brilliant watercolor illustrations illustrate this story.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel.
Told from the point of view of 10-year-old Caitlin, we learn firsthand what it is like to deal with Asperger’s syndrome. A shooting in middle school took the life of her beloved older brother. Now Caitlin searches for closure for herself and her dad. (Note: this book contains a shooting, and may not be what you want in your library. I put this in because ALL the teachers who read it kept talking about it and I figured you could read it for yourself and decide if it will be appropriate for your school library.)
These titles are all taken from the 2011 Teacher’s Choices brochure. I will finish this section next week. I hope you are having a good week.
Library Announcement: This is the time to begin collecting all the library books and have them returned to school. School will be out in only three weeks.
Audrey
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Series Books continued
Hello,
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post. I was home ill. However, this week I want to continue the series post I started two weeks ago.
Vet Volunteers is a series by Laurie Halse Anderson and published by Scholastic. At this point, there are about ten in the series, but it appears that more are being written. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about the different animals that are helped by the vets and young people.
American Girl has a number of series put out. Most people are aware of the different dolls and the books that go with the dolls. Meet Samantha, Meet Kirsten, Meet, Molly, Meet Josefina, Meet Felicity, and so on. Others are being written about girls in modern times, as well. You can promote these books by having a display of the dolls and the books that go with each doll. I would venture a guess that you have students with a doll who would be happy to let you use the doll for display. I am fortunate to have a display cabinet that locks and have done this in our school.
Other series books by American Girl are Girls of Many Lands and History Mysteries. These are not as well known as the one listed above and that could be because no dolls are associated with the books.
Matt Christopher writes books about sports. They are appropriate for students in grades 4 – 6 although older students may enjoy them also. The books don’t take a character and continue through the series, but each book can stand alone.
Guide magazine has published a number of books compiling popular stories from Guide. Guide’s Greatest Stories and other titles can be found at the Adventist Book Center. Watch for the camp meeting sales coming soon. That is a great time to get these.
The Dear America series by Scholastic is written in diary format and there are many of these available. These books take a particular event in history and write a fictional diary of a young person who would have lived at that time. At the end of each book there are a few pages of historical facts, photos, and other primary sources about the historical event. There are some differences in the series. Dear America is a diary about a girl, My Name is America is a journal written by a boy, and My America is written for younger readers. Scholastic also has The Royal Diaries written by a royal queen or princess, and there is even a Dear Canada set.
A series similar to Dear America is the Sisters in Time published by Barbour Publishing. These are stories about historical events, but not written in diary format. Barbour Publishing is a Christian publisher and these books have a Christian focus to the story.
Nancy Levene has written a series about a girl named Alex. These books are published by Chariot Victor Publishing which is a Christian publisher. Each book has a theme and the titles are ones that may make you hungry. French Fry Forgiveness, Hot Chocolate Friendship, Mint Cookie Miracles, Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets, and so on. This series is intended for students in third or fourth grade. The books are chapter books and contain about 115 pages each.
Hank the Cowdog is a series that appeals to kids of all ages. John Erickson lives in the panhandle of Texas. Many years ago the Fort Worth Star Telegram published Hank the Cowdog as a serial story in the paper. I bought a classroom set of the story chapter by chapter and we read it in class. My third graders enjoyed the story, but some of the words were a little difficult for many of them so we read it aloud. All of the books have been made into audio books for family enjoyment.
Herbie Jones was written by Suzy Kline for her third graders. They loved Herbie and his antics so much she wrote a few more. One of my favorite stories is when Herbie gave a can of salmon to a girl for her birthday. If you read only one or two chapters to your students, they will be hooked and want to read more for themselves.
Sara Pennypacker is the author of Clementine and other books about Clementine. Clementine is described as being a combination of Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones and the scrapes she gets into delight the hearts of most third graders.
Older series that remain enjoyable and timeless are the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald, and Henry Reed by Keith Robertson. The Little House books are always in print, The Great Brain is still in print, but Henry Reed is out of print. I enjoyed the Henry Reed books so much I located used copies to put in the library. Read one and see if you agree.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Next week I will be in Orlando at the International Reading Convention looking for brand new titles to share with you.
Audrey
I’m sorry I missed last week’s post. I was home ill. However, this week I want to continue the series post I started two weeks ago.
Vet Volunteers is a series by Laurie Halse Anderson and published by Scholastic. At this point, there are about ten in the series, but it appears that more are being written. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about the different animals that are helped by the vets and young people.
American Girl has a number of series put out. Most people are aware of the different dolls and the books that go with the dolls. Meet Samantha, Meet Kirsten, Meet, Molly, Meet Josefina, Meet Felicity, and so on. Others are being written about girls in modern times, as well. You can promote these books by having a display of the dolls and the books that go with each doll. I would venture a guess that you have students with a doll who would be happy to let you use the doll for display. I am fortunate to have a display cabinet that locks and have done this in our school.
Other series books by American Girl are Girls of Many Lands and History Mysteries. These are not as well known as the one listed above and that could be because no dolls are associated with the books.
Matt Christopher writes books about sports. They are appropriate for students in grades 4 – 6 although older students may enjoy them also. The books don’t take a character and continue through the series, but each book can stand alone.
Guide magazine has published a number of books compiling popular stories from Guide. Guide’s Greatest Stories and other titles can be found at the Adventist Book Center. Watch for the camp meeting sales coming soon. That is a great time to get these.
The Dear America series by Scholastic is written in diary format and there are many of these available. These books take a particular event in history and write a fictional diary of a young person who would have lived at that time. At the end of each book there are a few pages of historical facts, photos, and other primary sources about the historical event. There are some differences in the series. Dear America is a diary about a girl, My Name is America is a journal written by a boy, and My America is written for younger readers. Scholastic also has The Royal Diaries written by a royal queen or princess, and there is even a Dear Canada set.
A series similar to Dear America is the Sisters in Time published by Barbour Publishing. These are stories about historical events, but not written in diary format. Barbour Publishing is a Christian publisher and these books have a Christian focus to the story.
Nancy Levene has written a series about a girl named Alex. These books are published by Chariot Victor Publishing which is a Christian publisher. Each book has a theme and the titles are ones that may make you hungry. French Fry Forgiveness, Hot Chocolate Friendship, Mint Cookie Miracles, Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets, and so on. This series is intended for students in third or fourth grade. The books are chapter books and contain about 115 pages each.
Hank the Cowdog is a series that appeals to kids of all ages. John Erickson lives in the panhandle of Texas. Many years ago the Fort Worth Star Telegram published Hank the Cowdog as a serial story in the paper. I bought a classroom set of the story chapter by chapter and we read it in class. My third graders enjoyed the story, but some of the words were a little difficult for many of them so we read it aloud. All of the books have been made into audio books for family enjoyment.
Herbie Jones was written by Suzy Kline for her third graders. They loved Herbie and his antics so much she wrote a few more. One of my favorite stories is when Herbie gave a can of salmon to a girl for her birthday. If you read only one or two chapters to your students, they will be hooked and want to read more for themselves.
Sara Pennypacker is the author of Clementine and other books about Clementine. Clementine is described as being a combination of Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones and the scrapes she gets into delight the hearts of most third graders.
Older series that remain enjoyable and timeless are the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald, and Henry Reed by Keith Robertson. The Little House books are always in print, The Great Brain is still in print, but Henry Reed is out of print. I enjoyed the Henry Reed books so much I located used copies to put in the library. Read one and see if you agree.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Next week I will be in Orlando at the International Reading Convention looking for brand new titles to share with you.
Audrey
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Series books
Hello,
I love series books. I love them because when I find a series, I know I have plenty to read for a while. I love them because when I get a student started on them, I know they will be happy for a while until they are finished. So here are some series books that might be interesting for your library. Maybe you have some of these already. Check to see if you have a complete series. If you don’t, you really might consider completing the series. Try a used book source if you cannot get new copies or if your budget is small. I’ll try to put these in age appropriate groups for you, too.
Junior High students/Parents
1. Serenity books by Kay Rizzo. You will find these at the Adventist Book Center. These are great for your older students and parents. With summer coming up you may also get camp meeting specials soon, so make your list.
2. Gilbert Morris’ books. A number of these were donated to our school. I put them out wondering if anyone would read them. Junior high students discovered them and they have been checked out regularly for two years now. See if you can find used copies somewhere. You also might have a community member that is happy to donate these.
3. Jeanette Oke’s books. (Pronounced ‘oak’) I love the Canadian West series, but her Love Comes Softly series is good, too. She also has individual books, too. See above for source ideas.
4. Heartland series by Lauren Brooke. This is a great series about horses. It may be difficult to keep your younger horse lovers from this series. In the first book, the main character suffers tragedy and it may be too much for a younger child. I try to save these for the older students and steer the younger ones to other horse books.
5. Christy Miller by Robin Jones Gunn. This series published by Focus on the Family is also for older students since the characters are high school students and are dealing with high school problems.
6. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. I LOVE this series! I simply cannot get kids to read this because they say, “I saw the movie.” This drives me nuts! The series goes into Anne’s married life and her family and most kids have not read them or even heard of them. I keep trying, though. These books are good for all levels, but are usually intimidating to younger ones because of the small type.
7. Adventures of the Northwoods by Lois Walfrid Johnson published by Bethany House. This is an older series about family life in the early 1900s.
8. Holly’s Heart by Beverly Lewis. Beverly Lewis is well-known for her Amish series books which are also good choices, but this series is about a preteen girl. Holly deals with boyfriends and other issues with the help of her friends and her faith in God.
9. Girls Only by Beverly Lewis. The girls in this series are involved in Olympic sports and have dreams of participating in the Olympics. They have a Girls Only club and learn important lessons as they struggle with challenges. Another series very similar to this one is called The Winning Edge by Lynn Kirby published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Middle Graders
10. Cul-de-Sac Kids by Beverly Lewis. This series is about the escapades of friends in a neighborhood and is great for middle readers. The books are thin so they aren’t intimidating to younger readers. Plus, there are a lot of funny situations in the series.
11. Keystone Stables by Marsha Hubler published by Zondervan. Give your horse lovers this series to read and when they are ready for another one give them. . .
12. Ready to Ride by Heather Grovet published by Pacific Press. After they finish this horse series, you can guide them to. . .
13. Starlight Animal Rescue series by Dandi Daley Mackall. Granted, there are more than just horses in this series, but maybe you can convince them to read the others too.
14. Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard is an old series, but still popular at my school. Mandie lives in the early 1900s and deals with issues of the day. There are at least 40 in the series. This is one series that it would be OK to not complete! I would have the first few books, then decide how many more you need. There is also a Young Mandie series with about 8 books in it. Those are also for younger readers.
15. Lily series by Nancy Rue published by Zonderkidz. Lily is a sixth grader and deals with situations and issues by asking herself if God is in this. There are also some self-help books that are paired with the stories. One example is the book “Here’s Lily” in which Lily considers a modeling career, and the companion book “The Beauty Book” which discusses what true beauty is to a Christian.
Well, this is enough for this week. I’ll continue this subject thread next week with more series books. Meanwhile, if you have a favorite series that I have not mentioned yet, I’ll be happy to consider adding it next week.
Hope you have a great week.
Audrey
I love series books. I love them because when I find a series, I know I have plenty to read for a while. I love them because when I get a student started on them, I know they will be happy for a while until they are finished. So here are some series books that might be interesting for your library. Maybe you have some of these already. Check to see if you have a complete series. If you don’t, you really might consider completing the series. Try a used book source if you cannot get new copies or if your budget is small. I’ll try to put these in age appropriate groups for you, too.
Junior High students/Parents
1. Serenity books by Kay Rizzo. You will find these at the Adventist Book Center. These are great for your older students and parents. With summer coming up you may also get camp meeting specials soon, so make your list.
2. Gilbert Morris’ books. A number of these were donated to our school. I put them out wondering if anyone would read them. Junior high students discovered them and they have been checked out regularly for two years now. See if you can find used copies somewhere. You also might have a community member that is happy to donate these.
3. Jeanette Oke’s books. (Pronounced ‘oak’) I love the Canadian West series, but her Love Comes Softly series is good, too. She also has individual books, too. See above for source ideas.
4. Heartland series by Lauren Brooke. This is a great series about horses. It may be difficult to keep your younger horse lovers from this series. In the first book, the main character suffers tragedy and it may be too much for a younger child. I try to save these for the older students and steer the younger ones to other horse books.
5. Christy Miller by Robin Jones Gunn. This series published by Focus on the Family is also for older students since the characters are high school students and are dealing with high school problems.
6. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. I LOVE this series! I simply cannot get kids to read this because they say, “I saw the movie.” This drives me nuts! The series goes into Anne’s married life and her family and most kids have not read them or even heard of them. I keep trying, though. These books are good for all levels, but are usually intimidating to younger ones because of the small type.
7. Adventures of the Northwoods by Lois Walfrid Johnson published by Bethany House. This is an older series about family life in the early 1900s.
8. Holly’s Heart by Beverly Lewis. Beverly Lewis is well-known for her Amish series books which are also good choices, but this series is about a preteen girl. Holly deals with boyfriends and other issues with the help of her friends and her faith in God.
9. Girls Only by Beverly Lewis. The girls in this series are involved in Olympic sports and have dreams of participating in the Olympics. They have a Girls Only club and learn important lessons as they struggle with challenges. Another series very similar to this one is called The Winning Edge by Lynn Kirby published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Middle Graders
10. Cul-de-Sac Kids by Beverly Lewis. This series is about the escapades of friends in a neighborhood and is great for middle readers. The books are thin so they aren’t intimidating to younger readers. Plus, there are a lot of funny situations in the series.
11. Keystone Stables by Marsha Hubler published by Zondervan. Give your horse lovers this series to read and when they are ready for another one give them. . .
12. Ready to Ride by Heather Grovet published by Pacific Press. After they finish this horse series, you can guide them to. . .
13. Starlight Animal Rescue series by Dandi Daley Mackall. Granted, there are more than just horses in this series, but maybe you can convince them to read the others too.
14. Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard is an old series, but still popular at my school. Mandie lives in the early 1900s and deals with issues of the day. There are at least 40 in the series. This is one series that it would be OK to not complete! I would have the first few books, then decide how many more you need. There is also a Young Mandie series with about 8 books in it. Those are also for younger readers.
15. Lily series by Nancy Rue published by Zonderkidz. Lily is a sixth grader and deals with situations and issues by asking herself if God is in this. There are also some self-help books that are paired with the stories. One example is the book “Here’s Lily” in which Lily considers a modeling career, and the companion book “The Beauty Book” which discusses what true beauty is to a Christian.
Well, this is enough for this week. I’ll continue this subject thread next week with more series books. Meanwhile, if you have a favorite series that I have not mentioned yet, I’ll be happy to consider adding it next week.
Hope you have a great week.
Audrey
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Donated Books, Old Books. What to do?
Hello,
A couple of years ago I was asked a question: What do I do with books that have been donated to our school? I thought I would address this again since we are coming into spring cleaning time and you may have this issue to deal with.
When someone wants to donate books to our library, I say something like this. “Thank you so much for the books. I’ll be happy to look through them and see what the library can use. If I find some in here that we aren’t able to use, is it OK if I share them around?” Usually the donor is just happy to find a home and does not care what you do with them. I now have permission to do whatever I like with the books.
Here are some options for disposing of books:
1. Put the ones that you think might sell on a sale table at your school. Charge $0.25 or less for them. You’d be surprised how many parents will come in and buy these books. Also it is a little bit of income for the library.
2. Donate them to a local daycare or children’s hospital.
3. Take them to a used bookstore and exchange them for books that you CAN use. I do this with my personal books and have a credit at a used bookstore in town.
4. Toss them into a dumpster. Call this the “black bag” method if it helps you feel better.
People have a real problem tossing books in the dumpster. I’m not sure why. If a toy or machine gets old, worn out, or broken and cannot be repaired, those get thrown out. Old, worn-out clothing is discarded. What is the difference with books? If a book is missing pages, toss it. If you cannot repair it and it is not worth sending to a professional for repair, toss it. If it is too old and the information is outdated, toss it. No information is better than wrong information. Repeat that phrase over and over until you are comfortable with it. No information is better than wrong information. You may decide to keep some books for historical purposes, but those will be few.
If a book is unattractive, but the information or story is good, then fix the cover. Make a book jacket for it. One way is to measure the height of the book and the width of the two covers and spine plus at least two inches on each side. Then cut a large piece of paper to fit the book. Now you can decorate it. Make sure to put the title in the spine area plus the spine label. You might find a great picture of the original cover online that you can copy and paste on the book jacket. The main thing is to make the book look attractive.
One idea that I have used is to have a shelf of these good but unattractive books and then I ask students to help me decide if the books are worth the space on our shelves. I asked a class or two to choose a book, read it and let me know if it is a good story and if they think other students might like to read it. If they think it is a good story, they can make a dust jacket for the book. They put a line on the back of the dust jacket that tells who designed the cover and what grade they are in. This would be a great book report idea plus get covers made for some of your books.
I hope you can use some of these ideas. I also give you permission to throw away books that you cannot use! Have a good week,
Audrey
A couple of years ago I was asked a question: What do I do with books that have been donated to our school? I thought I would address this again since we are coming into spring cleaning time and you may have this issue to deal with.
When someone wants to donate books to our library, I say something like this. “Thank you so much for the books. I’ll be happy to look through them and see what the library can use. If I find some in here that we aren’t able to use, is it OK if I share them around?” Usually the donor is just happy to find a home and does not care what you do with them. I now have permission to do whatever I like with the books.
Here are some options for disposing of books:
1. Put the ones that you think might sell on a sale table at your school. Charge $0.25 or less for them. You’d be surprised how many parents will come in and buy these books. Also it is a little bit of income for the library.
2. Donate them to a local daycare or children’s hospital.
3. Take them to a used bookstore and exchange them for books that you CAN use. I do this with my personal books and have a credit at a used bookstore in town.
4. Toss them into a dumpster. Call this the “black bag” method if it helps you feel better.
People have a real problem tossing books in the dumpster. I’m not sure why. If a toy or machine gets old, worn out, or broken and cannot be repaired, those get thrown out. Old, worn-out clothing is discarded. What is the difference with books? If a book is missing pages, toss it. If you cannot repair it and it is not worth sending to a professional for repair, toss it. If it is too old and the information is outdated, toss it. No information is better than wrong information. Repeat that phrase over and over until you are comfortable with it. No information is better than wrong information. You may decide to keep some books for historical purposes, but those will be few.
If a book is unattractive, but the information or story is good, then fix the cover. Make a book jacket for it. One way is to measure the height of the book and the width of the two covers and spine plus at least two inches on each side. Then cut a large piece of paper to fit the book. Now you can decorate it. Make sure to put the title in the spine area plus the spine label. You might find a great picture of the original cover online that you can copy and paste on the book jacket. The main thing is to make the book look attractive.
One idea that I have used is to have a shelf of these good but unattractive books and then I ask students to help me decide if the books are worth the space on our shelves. I asked a class or two to choose a book, read it and let me know if it is a good story and if they think other students might like to read it. If they think it is a good story, they can make a dust jacket for the book. They put a line on the back of the dust jacket that tells who designed the cover and what grade they are in. This would be a great book report idea plus get covers made for some of your books.
I hope you can use some of these ideas. I also give you permission to throw away books that you cannot use! Have a good week,
Audrey
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Reader Responses
Hello,
I recently received two responses to two different posts and thought I would share them with you.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about different ways to add books to your library without spending much money. One response came from Rosemary. She wrote that her local Barnes and Noble bookstore does an in-house book fair for her school. She has had three Barnes and Noble book fairs over the past three years and has been very pleased with this arrangement. The profits come to her on a B & N gift card which she uses to help increase her school library budget. Contact your local Barnes and Noble for more information.
Last week I wrote about using student helpers in the library. My student helpers belong to the Library Club. Donna responded to say that she has used student helpers in her library for 18 years. Her name for them is ‘Library Rats’ which is a play on the ‘Lab Rat’ term. The name has turned into a badge of honor over the years. Donna takes notice of students who will be useful in the library or might also get a boost of self-esteem from the job. She gives personal invitations to these students (even as young as 2nd grade) and begins training them. They come at their recess time once or twice a week and each student has assigned duties. When their job is done for the day, they receive a small piece of candy. Twice a year – Christmas time and end of the school year – she gives out small gift cards to the local Border’s store. Donna has many students requesting to be a ‘Rat’, but she explains that she can’t hire everyone. Also, once Donna trains her ‘Rats’, she keeps them as long as she can.
One thing I DIDN’T tell you is that this year, I am having some issues with my student helpers. About a third of them quit coming regularly and therefore are no longer members of Library Club. About a third of them come in, but don’t really do what I have asked them to do. I like the idea of training them and KEEPING them until they graduate or until they choose to leave. I also like the idea of assigning jobs. I will have to rethink my plan next year.
I hope these ideas from two of my readers are helpful to you. Take what you like, or tweak the ideas and plan until they work for you.
Hope you have a great week!
Audrey
I recently received two responses to two different posts and thought I would share them with you.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about different ways to add books to your library without spending much money. One response came from Rosemary. She wrote that her local Barnes and Noble bookstore does an in-house book fair for her school. She has had three Barnes and Noble book fairs over the past three years and has been very pleased with this arrangement. The profits come to her on a B & N gift card which she uses to help increase her school library budget. Contact your local Barnes and Noble for more information.
Last week I wrote about using student helpers in the library. My student helpers belong to the Library Club. Donna responded to say that she has used student helpers in her library for 18 years. Her name for them is ‘Library Rats’ which is a play on the ‘Lab Rat’ term. The name has turned into a badge of honor over the years. Donna takes notice of students who will be useful in the library or might also get a boost of self-esteem from the job. She gives personal invitations to these students (even as young as 2nd grade) and begins training them. They come at their recess time once or twice a week and each student has assigned duties. When their job is done for the day, they receive a small piece of candy. Twice a year – Christmas time and end of the school year – she gives out small gift cards to the local Border’s store. Donna has many students requesting to be a ‘Rat’, but she explains that she can’t hire everyone. Also, once Donna trains her ‘Rats’, she keeps them as long as she can.
One thing I DIDN’T tell you is that this year, I am having some issues with my student helpers. About a third of them quit coming regularly and therefore are no longer members of Library Club. About a third of them come in, but don’t really do what I have asked them to do. I like the idea of training them and KEEPING them until they graduate or until they choose to leave. I also like the idea of assigning jobs. I will have to rethink my plan next year.
I hope these ideas from two of my readers are helpful to you. Take what you like, or tweak the ideas and plan until they work for you.
Hope you have a great week!
Audrey
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