Ten Things about Georgie

I just finished re-reading my copy of The Thing about Georgie by Lisa Graff.  What a great story about friendship, dwarfs, and school.  I didn’t just find one thing to like about Georgie but ten.

1.  A narrator instructs you at the beginning  of many chapters to try something.  That something gives you a perspective about living in Georgie’s world as a dwarf.

2.  I related to Georgie’s struggles with friends. it reminded me of my fourth and fifth grade years.  I had two friends.  It seemed that two of us were always mad at the third friend.

3.  ”Jeanie the Meanie”, she’s this sassy, impudent girl who also has a streak of compassion.

4. Georgie worries about “Baby Godzilla”.  And even though, Georgie worries from the perspective of being a dwarf, it resonates with anyone who has been waiting for the new brother or sister.

5. Jeanie’s comment to the librarian, “The library doesn’t have any books about shoelaces.” I am still laughing.  I have students exploring the search stations everyday and they are always typing in weird stuff.

6.  The relationship between Georgie and Andy’s grandmother.

7. Andy’s grandmother, Nonna Rosa. She reminded me of my mother-in-law.

8. Strong boy characters.  I loved the Lava Wars

9. How friends stick up for one another in unexpected ways.

10. Georgie’s caring and loving parents.

This book will be in the hands of my intermediate grades after spring break. It’s a book that I will nominate for the Sasquatch Reader Awards for Washington. 

The thing about Lisa Graff  is that it is a great debut novel. 

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Silly Words Day

Nancy over at Journey Woman invites us to create a list of silly words. You know the ones that fill your mouth when you say them, the ones that make you giggle saying them, and the ones that you wonder “who came up with that word?”

Here is my list:

brumby
puzzle dust
coif
nougat
funiculi
spooge
glabella
omphaloskepsis
incredulous
diploblastic
zaibatsu
somniferous
mycelium
odoriferous
minutia
mashie niblick
Head over to Journey Women to see other silly word lists.

Happy Reading,

MsMac

Poetry Friday” I Hear Silver Star Students Singing

My poem to share today is in honor of having Sabina I. Rascol at our school three of five days this week.  Sabina read the following poem to the students.

I Hear America Singing

by Walt Whitman.

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics–each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat–the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench–the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter’s song–the ploughboy’s, on his way in the morning,
or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother–or of the young wife at work–or of the girl sewing or washing–Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day–At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs.

Ms. Rascol used this  line: “Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;” to illustrate that everyone has their own song, or in this case their own poem to write.  She passed out so many gems to everyone:
–date your poems. (I am guilty of not doing that)
–keep all the drafts to refer to
–use “juicy, descriptive words
–keep a book with the poems written by others that you love (I do this, yay)

She met with students, handing out prompts like candy.

 
Chris, 5th grade, works on a poem “Ode to the Cheese Factory”. 

 Mrs. Grabner, 2nd grade teacher assisting a student.

Thursday afternoon was reserved for those engaged in poetry.  Three to four students per classroom came to the library. 

Students wrote poetry with new prompts: food, a time of year or time of day.

Some were very brave.  They volunteered to do a revision conference with Sabina. Strengths about their poems were pointed out along with one or two ideas to make their poem even better.

 It made my heart sing to have a teacher tell Sabina how excited her students were about the poems they wrote. I enjoyed this week immensely. I heard poems from students, normally are not engaged in library activities. I heard their individual songs this week and they were delicious ones.

What’s New Wednesday

Spring is here and that means that students will be investigating animals for class reports.  The library has just received several new titles from Bridgestone Books (a Capstone Press division).

I took home Owls: Flat Faced Flyers and Crocodiles to read.  The photos alone will engage anyone interested in animals. It is as if you are there with the animal. 

In Owls: Flat Faced Flyers, labels are used on some the photos. The text is large and the information manageable for the young researcher.

The same can be said about the book on crocodiles.  Both books, as well as the other books in the series, concentrate on life cycles, what they eat, their habitats.  The books are set up well with table of contents, an index, and a section on “Amazing Facts”.  In addition there is a glossary, age appropriate Internet sites for further investigation, and a small bibliography.

Our young aspiring biologists will not be overwhelmed when using this series for research. 

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Poetry Party in the Library, Part Two: Tuesday

Today, Sabina demonstrated ways to write poems.  As the students arrived, soft music was playing. She turned the music off and asked them what the world would be like if there was no music or just gray crayons or only plain white bread.  She used this in explaining why poetry is necessary in the world. We don’t really need it but it makes life more interesting.

Sabina writing her own poem.

Soon students were writing about their pet or one that they want, their friends and special people, places they love to be.  It was a sea of poets and poetry writing.

Fourth and fifth graders writing.

Sabina conferring with a student.

Teachers helped students as well. 

Fifth graders helped kindergarteners and first graders.

Look at these young poets. Seeds were planted today.  On Thursday, some students will return to do some revising with Sabina.

Poetry Party in the Library, Part One: Monday

Sabina I. Rascol, author of The Impudent Roosterhas been at our school this week.  On Monday, she talked about being an author and her book.  It was quite engaging as she had the students act our the story reader’s theater style.

Sabina retelling the story.

Students acting out the story.

It didn’t matter your grade level, lots of volunteers were needed.

Monday was such a great day.  Sabina wove in the importance of telling our own stories and family traditions just as she wove her traditions and cultures into her story.  Everyone had a wonderful day.

Tuesday Tidbits: What Our PM K’s are Checking Out and Reading

Author, storyteller, and poet Sabina Rascol began her three day adventure at Silver Star yesterday.  My afternoon kindergarten class arrived early and it was the perfect opportunity to interview them on what some had checked out.

Noaa and Alison both checked out Verdiby Janell Cannon. Each had a different reason. Noaa hopes to get over her fear of snakes and Alison just loves snakes.

Ethan, checked out Bat Jamboreeby Kathi Appelt and Melissa Sweet.  He said he like the cover when asked about how he selected the book.

Kaileigh loves kittens so she “rented” Charlie Andersonby Barbara Abercrombie and Mark Graham.

Kyler checked out Zinnia and Dot while Justin selected The Library Dragon. I hope he doesn’t see me as the library dragon.

The two “brook” girsl, Brooke and Brooklyn came up with interesting choices.  Brooke selelcted How Big is a Pig and Brooklyn thought The Mixed Up Chameleon sounded funny.

Nathan checked out Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer  , always a good choice.

Soon the other kindergarten class arrived. We began to talk about who reads to them at home. Most said their moms or dads with one or two siblings thrown in.

What this class wanted to share the most was that Ryan had read Cat in the Hat to the ENTIRE class. This was exciting news to them.  It led to others sharing what they could actually read.

Jaegen has read Hop on Pop, Ocean read Kitty Cat, and Anna read Up and Down.  It is happening at kindergarten, readers are emerging. Hooray for that.

It has not been a good reading week for me. I seem to fall into bed and eyes shut before I have a book in hand. I am pretty much on the same books as last week. I am, however, anxiously awaiting my preview copy of Blackbringerby Laini Taylor to read over spring break.

What’s on your nightstand?

Happy Reading.

MsMac

Scenes from Cat in the Hat Night, March 7, 2007

Mrs. Locascio, Principal, and Mr. Sterling, 3rd grade teacher greeted our guests.

Mrs. Miller read Diary of a Worm while her daughter acted it out with sign language.

 Barbra Meisenheimer, Fort Vancouver Regional Librarian, played “Cat in the Hat” trivia with students.

         Mrs. Asbridge and Ms. Padden, 3rd grade teachers, read to parents and students in their classrooms.

 A birthday cake was served to over 100 students.

 Everyone had great fun.

Happy Reading,

MsMac

Monday Matters:Week of 3.26.2007

Do you like the new title for the Library Weekly”?  I needed a different title for the place where I outline the week in library. It is important to me to write out my plans for the week and Monday seems the best place to share them.

This is a big week for the Silver Star Library.  We will have Sabina I. Rascol, author of The Impudent Rooster for three days.  She is turning to her love of poetry as we engage students with poetry prompts.  I will post photos next week of the library and a sea of children writing.

The library schedule has been a juggling act for next week. Some teachers will go with the flow and not worry about having library and I will schedule others in the in-between spaces. I am excited and frightened all at the same time. I truly hope that most will agree it was worth it at the end of the week.

On top of all that, I have voting for a variety of  readers’ choice award. 

Ahh, but then it is spring break.  Hooray for a week’s respite.

Happy Reading,

MsMac

Poetry Friday: Welcome Spring

Being on the CYBILS judging panel for poetry gave me a chance to read and debate some really great poetry books.  One of these was Douglas Florian’s Handsprings.  This title is the companion book to others about the seasons.

What I like about the book is the simplicity of the poems. Yes, maybe to some, they may seem too simple, but I felt as I was seeing spring through the eyes of a child.  Florian’s water color paints and colored pencils used in the artwork enhance that feeling that this is a child’s voice. 

One of my very favorite poems is the list poem, “What I Love About Spring”.

What I Love About Spring

Trees are growing
Streams are flowing
Cool Spring Showers
Blooming Flowers
Caterpillars creep
Peepers peep
Playing sports
Wearing shorts
April Fools’
Swimming pools
Going places
Relay races
Days are longer
Sun is stronger
Every morning songbirds sing-
I love nearly everything!

The poem makes me thing of the things I love about spring:

Daffodils
with their fancy frills
Longer days
time to play
Warmer weather
no need of sweater
Fresh smell of a spring rain

 Why do you love spring?  To see what others are sharing for Poetry Friday, visit Blue Rose Girls for the round-up.

Happy Reading.

MsMac