Friday, November 11, 2016
Book Talks!
Thanks to Andrea Walter from St. Louis County Library for giving informative and entertaining book talks to Old Bonhomme second and third graders this week! The students left the library anxious to check out many of the books they were introduced to this week. See below for a list of the books she talked about (and keep them in mind for great holiday gifts)!
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Summer Reading Suggestions
Chances are that at some point this summer, you'll hear the words "I don't have anything good to read"! Be prepared by taking a stroll through these book lists and jot down a few titles that sound like they'd interest your child. Plan on stopping the OB library on Wednesday mornings this summer (June 1-August 3, 10:00-12:00) and check some of these books out! Don't forget to record the time your student reads for the St. Louis County summer reading program (here)!
--Designed to encourage reading aloud to children from birth through kindergarten age
--Picture books for children in grades 1-3
--Books for children in grades 4-6
--Includes Newberry, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King awards
50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12 (according to this particular organization)
Monday, May 9, 2016
Summer Reading
You can access St. Louis County Library's summer reading website using the link in this blog's navigation bar. Use the website to keep track of the whole family's reading progress for the summer. You read that correctly--the whole family can sign up for the summer reading program and earn prizes! Registration starts May 23 and runs through July 30. Don't forget to send in a copy of your student's reading log in August so he/she can be recognized for reading over the summer. There will be a bulletin board featuring the smiling faces of all OB students who turn in their reading logs from this summer and you'll want to see your child's face there!
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
2016 Scholastic Reading List
Looking for books for your student to read this summer? Check out this reading list from Scholastic.
Monday, April 25, 2016
2015-2016 Missouri Reader Awards
Missouri's Show Me Award and Mark Twain Award winners were announced tonight!
Lots and lots of Old Bonhomme 1st-3rd graders will be thrilled to hear that Trouper by Meg Kearney won the Show Me Award!
Old Bonhomme fourth graders read and voted for their favorite Mark Twain nominee. In fact, seven fourth graders read all 12 nominees this year! Those students have been recognized as distinguished readers in the fourth grade hallway. Make sure to take a peek at their posters before the end of the school year!
This year's Mark Twain Award winner is Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. So many of our fourth graders enjoyed this book that I had to buy extra copies for the library to keep up with demand! If your student was one that loved this book, encourage him/her to try the sequel, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics.
Lots and lots of Old Bonhomme 1st-3rd graders will be thrilled to hear that Trouper by Meg Kearney won the Show Me Award!
Old Bonhomme fourth graders read and voted for their favorite Mark Twain nominee. In fact, seven fourth graders read all 12 nominees this year! Those students have been recognized as distinguished readers in the fourth grade hallway. Make sure to take a peek at their posters before the end of the school year!
This year's Mark Twain Award winner is Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. So many of our fourth graders enjoyed this book that I had to buy extra copies for the library to keep up with demand! If your student was one that loved this book, encourage him/her to try the sequel, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Two Good Dog Stories + Kindergartners = New Dog For Me
One thing you should know about me is that I love dogs. Always have and always will. My family has one exceptionally cute pup named Harvey and to say that I adore Harvey is an understatement. If you're not a dog person, you just won't get it, but I L-O-V-E my dog!
Like any parent, I don't want to miss an opportunity to brag about mychild dog, so humor me while I share a picture of Harvey:
Now, to someone on the outside, you might think having two teenagers, a toddler, a cat, and a dog (oh, did I forget to mention that Harvey came to us with a few emotional problems?) would be enough to deal with on a daily basis...and my husband would agree with you. But I want to adopt another dog and I will go to any length to make this happen!
Including asking 85 kindergartners to help me convince Mr. Kelley that our family needs another dog.
This week I spilled my heart out to the kindergartners, explaining that I really, really wanted another dog and that I would do ANYTHING to get one. We talked a little bit about the word "persuade" and how I needed to persuade Mr. Kelley that adding one more dog to our household would be a good thing. I told my friends, all 85 of them, that one way I plan on persuading Mr. Kelley to reconsider this whole dog thing is to read a picture book about dogs aloud to him (I'm a librarian, after all!). I needed their help, though, choosing just the right book to read.
To help me with this lesson, I read Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee and Say Hello To Zorro! by Carter Goodrich, both of which are about dogs, and both offering unique perspectives of the joys of owning a dog...or two.
While reading Please, Puppy, Please together, we occasionally stopped and talked about if this book would do the job...if it would persuade Mr. Kelley that our family should get another dog. The kids got a big kick out of warning me to skip certain pages should I choose to read this book to Mr. Kelley, especially the part where the puppy escapes from the backyard through a hole in the fence. Like someone said, "He would NOT like it if his dog escaped and got runned over." No. No he would not. I'll skip that part, maybe.
We all agreed, though, that as much work having a new puppy seemed in this book, the last few pages were pretty persuasive. I mean, just look at how happy these kids look at the end of a busy, puppy-filled day!
Surely Mr. Kelley wants me to be happy like the cute kids in this book!
We agreed that Please, Puppy, Please had some merits and should be considered as a read aloud but we wanted to read one more book just to make sure that I read the best book to support my cause. That's when I pulled Say Hello To Zorro! off the shelf (I knew, actually, that I was going to go to this book before this lesson started, but I wanted this to seem like a coincidence to the kids...like it was meant to be...just like me getting another dog is meant.to.be).
Say Hello To Zorro! offered a slightly different perspective to consider when persuading Mr. Kelley that we needed one more dog in our family. Like a student said, "This would be a good one to read to Mr. Kelley because it shows how good having two dogs is!" Exactly the point, student. Thank you.
The kindergartners helped me choose the parts of this book that were most likely to support our position. They picked this page to convince Mr. Kelley that our boy Harvey is likely lonely while we're at OB and he's home alone.
Good one kids! I think that might pull on his heart strings a little.
Next, they decided that I should point out the part when Mr. Bud and Zorro, the two main characters in this story, are snuggling together on the floor. It might persuade Mr. Kelley that owning two dogs would not only make me happy but Harvey would also benefit from the company.
I don't know that Mr. Kelley cares as much as I do about Harvey being lonely. But I can try.
Finally, the kindergartners warned me that I should skip one of the last pages where Mr. Bud and Zorro are chasing a poor cat while taking a walk with their human. "It might make Mr. Kelley not want another dog because your two dogs would gang up on our cat at home." They didn't think Mr. Kelley would like all of that noise in the house. Ha...if they only knew!
After reading both stories with these students and with their help in choosing the most persuasive parts of each book, I think I have a solid plan and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of getting another furry friend at home. Thanks to my helpers, the fabulous kindergartners of Old Bonhomme, for sharing their persuasion skills with me! These kids are pros at being persuasive. It's almost like they've had a lot of practice with it!
Like any parent, I don't want to miss an opportunity to brag about my
Now, to someone on the outside, you might think having two teenagers, a toddler, a cat, and a dog (oh, did I forget to mention that Harvey came to us with a few emotional problems?) would be enough to deal with on a daily basis...and my husband would agree with you. But I want to adopt another dog and I will go to any length to make this happen!
Including asking 85 kindergartners to help me convince Mr. Kelley that our family needs another dog.
This week I spilled my heart out to the kindergartners, explaining that I really, really wanted another dog and that I would do ANYTHING to get one. We talked a little bit about the word "persuade" and how I needed to persuade Mr. Kelley that adding one more dog to our household would be a good thing. I told my friends, all 85 of them, that one way I plan on persuading Mr. Kelley to reconsider this whole dog thing is to read a picture book about dogs aloud to him (I'm a librarian, after all!). I needed their help, though, choosing just the right book to read.
To help me with this lesson, I read Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee and Say Hello To Zorro! by Carter Goodrich, both of which are about dogs, and both offering unique perspectives of the joys of owning a dog...or two.
Surely Mr. Kelley wants me to be happy like the cute kids in this book!
We agreed that Please, Puppy, Please had some merits and should be considered as a read aloud but we wanted to read one more book just to make sure that I read the best book to support my cause. That's when I pulled Say Hello To Zorro! off the shelf (I knew, actually, that I was going to go to this book before this lesson started, but I wanted this to seem like a coincidence to the kids...like it was meant to be...just like me getting another dog is meant.to.be).
Say Hello To Zorro! offered a slightly different perspective to consider when persuading Mr. Kelley that we needed one more dog in our family. Like a student said, "This would be a good one to read to Mr. Kelley because it shows how good having two dogs is!" Exactly the point, student. Thank you.
The kindergartners helped me choose the parts of this book that were most likely to support our position. They picked this page to convince Mr. Kelley that our boy Harvey is likely lonely while we're at OB and he's home alone.
Next, they decided that I should point out the part when Mr. Bud and Zorro, the two main characters in this story, are snuggling together on the floor. It might persuade Mr. Kelley that owning two dogs would not only make me happy but Harvey would also benefit from the company.
Finally, the kindergartners warned me that I should skip one of the last pages where Mr. Bud and Zorro are chasing a poor cat while taking a walk with their human. "It might make Mr. Kelley not want another dog because your two dogs would gang up on our cat at home." They didn't think Mr. Kelley would like all of that noise in the house. Ha...if they only knew!
After reading both stories with these students and with their help in choosing the most persuasive parts of each book, I think I have a solid plan and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of getting another furry friend at home. Thanks to my helpers, the fabulous kindergartners of Old Bonhomme, for sharing their persuasion skills with me! These kids are pros at being persuasive. It's almost like they've had a lot of practice with it!
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Casting Our Votes for the Reader Awards
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| Students vote for the Show Me Nominee of their choice using stickers |
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| First graders voting |
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| Mark Twain Nominees |
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Narrative Nonfiction
I always love reading narrative nonfiction aloud to my students. It combines their affection for "real life stories" (as the younger students sometimes say) and a good read aloud...and they all love a good read aloud!
Some of the favorite narrative nonfiction titles in our library include:
Some of the favorite narrative nonfiction titles in our library include:
1. Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff
2. Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis and Gilbert Ford
3. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
4. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
5. Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World by Elizabeth Rusch
6. A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant
8. Game Changer: John Mclendon and the Secret Game by John Coy
9. Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World by Allan Drummond
10. Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Music Change Music by Margarita Engle
This is a short list of Old Bonhomme's large collection of narrative nonfiction books. These stories make good mentor texts for reading and writing units and great bedtime stories!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
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!
This was a whole district effort that highlighted the generosity of our community! Thank you!
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| Books watiting to be delivered to Washington Elementary |
Friday, February 5, 2016
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!
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!
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| Scholastic Book Fair Time! |
Thursday, January 21, 2016
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!
Friday, December 18, 2015
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
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.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Friday, October 2, 2015
Wordless Picture Books
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| Scholastic blog post by Amy Mascott |
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!
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
2015-2016 Mark Twain Nominees
Fourth grade students spent the first several weeks of the school year being introduced to the the 2015 Mark Twain Nominees. The 12 nominees were chosen by librarians and student selectors across the state of Missouri. Students in fourth through sixth grade are encouraged to read these nominees and then vote on their favorite--the winning book being awarded the Mark Twain Award in April. All fourth graders received a bookmark with a list of the Mark Twain Nominees on it to use while reading some of these good books!Old Bonhomme students only need to read at least four of the nominees by March 1 in order to vote on their favorite. Upon completing one of the nominees, students fill out a slip of paper that a parent must sign before turning it in to Mrs. Kelley (the form students must fill out is located on the Mark Twain Nominee book case). If a student reads all 12 of the nominees, his/her picture will be displayed on a poster that can be taken home at the end of the school year. This is a big deal and we want to celebrate this accomplishment!
Mark Twain Nominees
Al Capone Does My Homework
Counting By 7s
Dorko the Magnificent
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Gaby, Lost and Found
The Great Trouble
Jinx
Navigating Early
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin
The Water Castle
What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World
Will in Scarlet
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Genrefying our library
Old Bonhomme’s library went through a major transformation over the summer. Our library ditched the Dewey Decimal System and became genrefied. Now, the word genrefication might sound like an affliction, but fear not--it’s a good thing! Genrefying the library simply means shelving books that are on the same topic together. Now that the library is genrefied, our young readers can easily access books on topics that interest them. Sports books are found in the sports section, art books are found in the art section, and books about animals are found in the animal section. There’s even a “Make It/Do It” section where kids can find books that teach them how to make or do things ranging from origami to cooking to science experiments.
All you have to do is Google “ditching Dewey” and you’ll find that this is a hot topic in the exciting world of libraries--most librarians agree with this new way of organizing an elementary library while others are dead-set in following the hard-fast rules created in the 1800s by Melvil Dewey. This librarian decided to do what was best for our young readers and made the change!
If you are curious about how a genrefied library looks, stop on by during fall parent/teacher conferences. There is still a lot of work to be done before the transformation is complete but you’ll get a good idea of how our library is now organized. And for all of you die-hard Dewey lovers out there, fear not! All fourth graders will be taught how to use the Dewey decimal system before leaving OB so that they’ll be able to access books at the Fifth Grade Center.
Genrefication is our friend and your kids already love it! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Oh, cool. I didn’t know we had books about ____!” It’s music to this librarian’s ears!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Don't forget the
Old Bonhomme Library
is open for family checkouts this summer!
I hope to see lots of OB Eagles at the library this summer!
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