One month down and many more to go!

Our first monthly book club just finished up with our first book, Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo. Our group got together in the beginning of November to kick off the month and finished up just before the Thanksgiving break.

We had a lot of fun and did so much more than talk about Flora and her bizarre furry friend, Ulysses.  Our group extended our time with 

• watching video clips of Kate DiCamillo herself talking about how she got inspired to write the book, 
• creative magnetic poetry on cookie sheets, 
• creative word lists and definitions for Flora and Ulysses very decorative vocabulary
• journaling and creating our own animal superheroes
• and of course, laughing and snacking!

Here is Kate talking all about the book, about writing, and sharing her gift of humor and story telling to a group of young (and eager!) fans!

And finally......

....our poetry that was inspired by the one and only Ulysses was created.  Enjoy the samples that were created!

UP NEXT......

DECEMBER: The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

Meeting dates:     Tuesday, Dec.1st (tomorrow!!) 8:00am (Proctor Library

            Tuesday, Dec. 22nd 8:00 am (Proctor Library)

Everyone is welcome to come and see what the Proctor Book Club is all about!

Proctor Book Club

Monthly Book Choices

Join us in the Proctor Library at 8:00am for one of the monthly meetings or all of them.  All students are welcome and encouraged to come! 

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November 10^th and 25th            Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

December 1^st and 22^nd              The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

January 5^th and 19^th                   Athlete vs. Mathlete by W.C. Mack

February 2^nd and 24^th               Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino

March 1^st and 15^th                      Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes

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More book club selections and meetings in

April, May, and June. 

Stay tuned for more info!

 Do you love to read?  Yes?!!

Do you love to talk about the books you’ve read?  Yes?!

Join the Proctor School MCBA Book Club!!

                                           

Here are the details:

• ·         Each month we will be reading one of the books on the Massachusetts Children’s Book Award nominee list.  As you know, you have to read at least 5 titles on the list before April to vote.  For more info on the MCBA, visit https://www.salemstate.edu/mcba/
• ·         The club will meet up twice a month.  The first time, we will talk about the first few chapters of the book, our first impressions, questions, connections, etc. The next time we meet will be a wrap up session to talk about how the book ended, final impressions, thoughts, critiques, thumbs up or thumbs down. 
• ·         Related activities will be done during our book club meeting related to the theme of the book.  Activities may be connected to art, music, science, etc.
• ·         If you have already read the book for the month, you are still welcome to join us and be part of the group…just no spoilers J
• ·         Finally, you can choose which months you would like to participate.  Join the months that interest you or take a risk and read a book/genre that you don’t think you’ll like….you just might surprise yourself! 

I hope you’ll join me and chat about one of my favorite things….books with many of my favorite people…Proctor readers! 

Any questions?  Come and see me in the library or email me at kdefrank@topsfieldps.org

                                                                                               

Mrs. DeFrank

November’s Proctor Book Club Selection

 (see meeting dates below)

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures 

by Kate DiCamillo

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format—a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16052012-flora-and-ulysses

Meeting Dates/Times

Meeting 1: Tuesday, November 9^th 8:00-8:45am

***Come with first 12 chapters read already…they are very short chapters!!***

Meeting 2: Wednesday, November 25^th 8:00-8:45am

If you would like to be part of the November Book Club, either fill out the bottom of this paper and leave it in the library or email Mrs. DeFrank kdefrank@topsfieldps.org

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I’d like to be part of the November Book Club!  _________________________(name)

I’ll read the first (very short) chapters of the book before we meet on 11/9/15 at 8:00am in the library.

David visits the Steward School Library

Most elementary school students are in love with a mischievous, bald-headed boy who eats dog biscuits, cuts his way through the cafeteria line and breaks the cookie jar as he is reaching high to get a forbidden treat.  

 Author and illustrator David Shannon created the book when he was 5 years old. David Shannon went on to make No, David! a bestselling, Caldecott Winner in 1999.  

While children think the book is hilarious, No, David!  can be confusing to a parent or teacher when first reading it. Adults may worry that children will imitate David’s bad behavior, but really, the children love to look at each page, tell David "No!" and use inferencing skills to figure out exactly what happened and what bad choice their little bald-headed friend made.  When we read these books aloud in the library, we turn each bad choice around and come up with better choice David might have made.   

The first graders had some fun with David in the library over the past few weeks.  We read some of these:                  

Then the fun began.  I posed the question, "What if David came to our library at Steward School?"  Hands went flying up and all of the possible trouble that David could find in the library came alive.  We brainstormed No, David, No scenarios and then came up with Yes, David, Yes solutions.  

After, the first graders chose one to write and illustrate.  These will be made into class books that can be checked out from the library.  Keep a look out for these first grade creations and check one out!  

Finally, we invited Mrs. Klipfel to join us and create a movie on her iPad about David in the Steward School library starring my first grade friends.  I will be sharing this video at an all school assembly later this month. 

Enjoy the video!!

http://safeshare.tv/w/KEbQBRAKHy

Welcome back to the library!!

General Information

Topsfield Elementary School Libraries

 

 

When does my class check out books?

 

Your class will visit the library once a week for a lesson and check out time.

 

How many books may I check out at a time?

 

Kindergarten and First Grade: 1 book

 

Second Grade:  1 book (September-December)/2 books (January-June)

Third Grade-Sixth Grade:  2 books

 Exceptions to the checkout limits will be made when students are working on a class project or when they need books upon special request of a teacher.

 
I lost or damaged a book, what do I do? 

 

At the Proctor School library, books that are lost or damaged must be paid for or replaced. Before taking payment for a book we request that you look everywhere possible at home. We will ask the classroom teacher to check classroom shelves. We also double-check the shelves in the library. Once we have exhausted all possibilities a check can be sent in for the cost of the book. Checks should be made out to: Town of Topsfield.  If you would like to replace the book, a similar copy (hardcover for a lost hardcover, etc) can be sent in with your child. 

 

My child checked out a book I’m not sure is appropriate for him/her to read. What should I do?

All books in our library meet selection policy rules approved by the School Board. This does not mean that every book is appropriate for every child due to interest, readability or content. Teachers and library staff help students make selections by teaching about what good books include and how to decide if a book is right for you. We ask new readers to look for books that have pictures. After this coaching, checkout decisions are up to the students. We suggest reading with your child as a wonderful strategy for knowing what books your student enjoys reading.

 

 

And the 2014 Newbery Winner is......

 

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

 

I just finished reading it this weekend and suprisingly, I loved it.  I'm not a huge fan of graphic novel/fantasy books and thought that DiCamillo's story would be just too quirky for me.  I was wrong.  It was a funny, heartwarming story about a girl who loves superhero comics and very little else and a squirrel that she saves from a near death encounter with a vacuum.  The journey between these two unlikely friends took unexpected turns and ended a chapter too soon.  I found myself disappointed that the book was over! 
Another interesting thing about Flora and Ulysses, it has elements of a graphic novel mixed within the traditional text writing.  Give it a try...it won't disappoint!

 

 

 

 

The Newbery Medal is the most prestigious award given in children's literature.

 

The Newbery Honor books for the year are:

 



Helping Hands in the Library

The library at Steward School is a busy place.  Books are flying off the shelves!  Children are excitedly pulling books off of the shelves to see which one will be the lucky book traveling home for the week.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing our Steward students excited about books and reading!
A busy library can quickly become a messy library without helpers to keep things organized.  Since our beloved Mrs. Jones retired, I have been looking for some reliable, book-loving helpers and I didn't have to look very far.  Our Steward School third graders have taken on the job!  Each third grader has "adopted a book shelf". 
Each week, students are responsible for checking their shelves during library class. They make sure their books are in order, the shelf is neat, and pick a books to display on top of the shelf. Not only will it instill a sense of individual responsibility in them, but it will also increase their sense of ownership of the library. They take pride in their shelves and it has greatly enhanced the appearance of the library shelves already!


 



Shelf helpers hard at work



A proud third grader shows off "her shelf"!

Each shelf highlights who takes care of it.  Good job third graders!

Welcome back!

Welcome back to the library!

I have enjoyed seeing all of my old friends in the library and meeting new faces that have joined our schools. I had the chance to get caught up on some young adult reading over the summer and look forward to sharing book talks with the children as the month gets under way. 
I am excited to announce that the Steward library and the Proctor library have new automation systems.  The switch over to Atriuum (Book Systems) means:

• a new and faster way to check out books in the library thanks to the updated technology
• an interactive website that students and parents can access at home to see what's new in the library
• posted book reviews by students for our school community to enjoy

The children share in my excitement because less time at the checkout counter means more time talking and reading books together!

Saying a cheerful goodbye to my old tech gear and
hello to a world of possibilities with Atriuum!

The Massachusetts Children's Book Award winner is.....

About the award:
     After finding that many children lose interest in books after reaching the intermediate grades, Dr. Helen Constant founded the Massachusetts Children's Book Award program in 1975. Designed for Massachusetts schoolchildren in grades 4-6, the program briefly included grades 7-9 from 1978 through 1983.
    Today, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders are given a "master list" of book titles. After reading five of the books, students may vote for their favorite. The list is compiled from nominations of participating teachers, librarians and interested publishers. A selection committee works with the nominations and chooses 25 titles to appear on the master list. http://www.salemstate.edu/academics/schools/3698.php

At Proctor, our students were encouraged to read at least five of  the nominated books so that they could participate and vote in mid-March.  We had quite a turnout at the "polls" and I am looking forward to sharing the results with my classes this week!

MCBA 2013 winner

 

 

Word Cloud of the week

Each week, I'll be creating a word cloud on Tagxedo for my students.  The word cloud will relate to something we are talking learning about, reading about, or book-talking about! 
Here is the first Word Cloud of the Week (hint: A special guest visit will make Wednesday anything but HORRIBLE at Steward School!)

And the winners are........

The 2013 Newbery Medal winner is...........The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, published by HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.  The winner was announced today by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

 

 

 

The 2013 Caldecott Medal winner is....... This Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, published by Candlewick Press.

 

 



 

The Caldecott Medal is an award which is given to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.