Thank you to everyone who donated a book to Washington Elementary School's library!  On top of so many wonderful books like OB favorites Keena Ford, Pete the Cat and The Book With No Pictures, we collected two complete sets of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a complete set of next year's Show Me nominees, and a complete set of next year's Mark Twain nominees!  That is amazing!
This was a whole district effort that highlighted the generosity of our community!  Thank you!

Books watiting to be delivered to Washington Elementary

It's THAT time of the year again!

Join us for the Scholastic Book Fair February 22-25.  We will have TWO family buying nights this year--Wednesday (2/24) and Thursday (2/25).  Bring the whole family to the OB library from 4-7pm one of those two evenings for a book buying experience you'll likely never forget!  

Scholastic Book Fair Time!

Kate Klise Visit

She's like the postman...neither rain, sleet nor SNOW could keep her away from Old Bonhomme!  On January 21, a day after the district was shut down because of snow, OB gave a warm welcome to Missouri author, Kate Klise.  Students were excited to finally meet Ms. Klise after reading many of her books, browsing her website, and brainstorming questions to ask during her visit.  Her book, Stand Straight, Ella Kate (written about real live Missouri giant Ella Ewing) was the most popular of Ms. Klise's books.  Not surprisingly, it was nominated for a Show Me Award in 2012-2013!


In addition to meeting with each grade level, Ms. Klise met with a group of Mrs. Shockley's star struck fourth graders (they were really, really excited to meet her).  Mrs. Shockley's class read Klise's amusing chapter book, Regarding the Fountain, over winter break and applied blogging skills they'd learned in class to talk about the book online.  These kids asked a lot of thoughtful questions that made me proud as an Old Bonhomme teacher!

First graders learned a little bit about orangutans this week while reading Little Sibu, An Orangutan Tale.  Here's what the publisher has to say about the story:

Little Sibu, a playful orangutan, enjoys his life of swinging freely through the treetops of the tropical Indonesian rainforest under the protective gaze of his mother, Hati. Each night he returns to the safe haven of his mother's nest. But, when Little Sibu turns seven years old, Hati realizes that he must learn to care for himself. Little Sibu finds his own food, travels away from his mother during the day, and builds his own nest. He quickly discovers how to make his way in the world around him.  Through this captivating story, author Sally Grindley presents a factually accurate portrayal of the everyday life of an orangutan in a tropical rainforest. She helps young readers to understand this endangered species, and appreciate the joy and tenderness of orangutan families. John Butler's colorful and dramatic illustrations will encourage readers to swing through the treetops with Little Sibu and his family.



After reading the story, we watched a hilarious short video of an orangutan appreciating a good magic trick.  It's hard not to fall in love with this adorable orangutan and watch the video over and over!

Upcoming Author Visit

Don't forget that you can purchase a Kate Klise book and have it autographed during her visit to Old Bonhomme!  Your student brought home an order form on Tuesday, December 15.  Another order form will be sent home the day we return from winter break.  All book orders must be returned by January 8, 2016 so the books can be ordered and shipped to the school in time for the author visit.

Books with a local flair!

Check out these new books at the Old Bonhomme Library--Really...Check them out!
You might see some familiar places in these books!

Wordless Picture Books

Scholastic blog post by Amy Mascott

We all know the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," so just imagine how many great conversations your family can have when you enjoy a whole (wordless) picture book picture book at home!  Reading specialist and literacy consultant Amy Mascott, in her blog post for Scholastic, praised the benefits of wordless picture books.  "Wordless picture books allow the reader (or viewer) to create their own story using the illustrations provided.  They allow for thought, creativity, and interpretation.  They allow for adaptation."  Check out the rest of her post, Must-Reads for Older Kids (Wordless Books), on Scholastics website to learn specific ways wordless picture books can booster your reader's skills...and how you can have fun with them as a whole family!  (Link located to the left)


Here is a list of the wordless picture books in Old Bonhomme's library:

The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
The Lion & The Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Ball by Mary Sullivan
Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris van Allsburg
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola
Sector 7 by David Wiesner
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Floatsam by David Wiesner
Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage

Feel free to send me an email and request a certain book be sent home with your child.   I'd love to have you try one or two of the wordless books sometime soon!