Casting Our Votes for the Reader Awards

Students vote for the Show Me Nominee
of their choice using stickers

We've all seen the campaign commercials and heard the sound bites on the news.  It's election season and no one can avoid it.  Luckily, election season here at the Old Bonhomme library isn't quite as intense as it is at the national level!

First graders voting

This week, students all across Missouri will participate in voting for their favorite Show Me Reader and Mark Twain Nominee.  First through third graders are voting for their favorite picture book while fourth graders who have read at least four of the nominated chapter books are eligible to cast their vote.  I'll be making posters of the six fourth graders who read all 12 Mark Twain Nominees.  The posters will hang in the fourth grade hallway and the kids will get to take them home at the end of the school year.  It's an exciting way to celebrate this huge accomplishment!  

Mark Twain Nominees

During dinner one night this week, ask your student what book he/she voted for and why.  Election results will be announced Monday, April 29th and I'll be sure to post the winners!

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:

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

7.  Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate

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!

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.