Third Graders are gearing up for their big transition to Middle School as they learn more about the Reference sections of libraries and how they can be useful for more advanced research!

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As Third Graders got ready for spring break, they got to share a beautiful story: Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree by William Miller.

This biography of well-known African-American author Zora Neale Hurston is beautifully told through poetic words and watercolor illustrations.

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In honor of March being Women’s History Month, 3rd grade students heard a variety of stories from the collection Cut from the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale by Robert D. San Souci.

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This week 3rd grade students read The Ballad of Belle Dorcas by William H. Hooks.

This Southern tale is rooted in the supernatural.  Stories involving magic and superstition often provided a welcome escape from thinking about the hardships of daily life.

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This week 3rd grade heard spine-chilling tales from The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural by Patricia C. McKissack.

This award-winning book had students absolutely glued to their seats!

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This week 3rd grade classes are reading different books to correspond with their classroom curriculum.

Some are reading The Two Mountains: An Aztec Legend;

others are enjoying Favorite Folktales from Around the World;

and some have heard The Hero Beowulf.

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This week, all classes talked about the 2010 Caldecott and Newbery Award winners:

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney won the Caldecott Award

and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (a Dalton parent!) won the Newbery Award.

Congratulations to these two very talented individuals!

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Third graders really are becoming independent researchers!  Now that they have learned the basics of our online catalog, they’re practicing their searching skills with a library scavenger hunt.

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Throughout December, third grade students are learning all about how to use the library’s computer systems to become more independent researchers.

By reviewing the purpose of call numbers and how to navigate the online library catalog, students are starting to utilize all of the library resources with the greatest of ease.

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This week 3rd grade had the chance to hear a wonderful folktale:  Raccoon’s Last Race as told by Joseph  and James Bruhac.

Through engaging illustrations, this story succeeds in sharing the important message that we should always be happy with what we have.

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