April is a BIG month for writers, readers and librarians! This month we celebrate National Poetry month and National Library Week. In honor of poetry we have been reading the following poetry books to our classes:
While many families may be familiar with the rhyming styles and whimsical drawings of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, they may not have heard of Alan Katz. Alan Katz is a poet who pens wacky silly poetry with traditional children’s songs. One of the students favorites is “I’ve been cleaning up my bedroom” to the tune of “I’ve been working on the railroad.”
The youngest students have also been celebrating National Library Week with Library Lil, a picture book by Suzanne Williams about a very unconventional (and very strong) librarian who brings books back to a town that can’t pry their eyes off of screens. During a terrible storm when the power goes out, Lil saves the day with her bookmobile and the town of Chesterville remembers their love of reading.
For older students, Edgar Allen Poe is a favorite. A collection of his poems and verses has been a popular item for those who like things that go bump in the night.
Other books available at the Dalton library to consider for library week include:
Librarian on the Roof! A True Story by MG King, That Book Woman by Heather Henson, Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, and What Marion taught Willis by Brook Berg.
Happy reading!
March is Women’s History Month and in celebration we have been reading biographies about strong women in history. Favorite read aloud books include Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull and America’s Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle by David A. Adler
In celebration of St. Patrick’s day, children have been delighted with tales of ‘the fair folk’ from Ireland. Favorite read-alouds include the following:
Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman, The Faerie’s Gift by Tonya Robyn Batt and Traveling Tom and the Leprechaun also by Teresa Bateman.
This cold winter is finally coming to an end. Here’s looking at you, spring!
The American Library Association (ALA) has announced this years honors and winners for the prestigious Youth Media Awards including the Newbery Medal (Best Book for Children), the Caldecott Medal (Best Illustrated Book) and the Coretta Scott King Award (Best Representation of African-American’s in Literature).
And the winners for excellence in Children’s Literature are…
The Newbery Medal Winner for 2015:
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The Newbery Medal Honor for 2015:
El Deafo by Cece Bell | Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Caldecott Medal Winner for 2015:
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
written and illustrated by Dan Santat
The Caldecott Medal Honor for 2015:
The Coretta Scott King Winner for 2015:
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Coretta Scott King Honor Books of 2015:
The Coretta Scott King Illustrated Book Award Winner in 2015:
The Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers
The Coretta Scott King Illustrated Book Honors in 2015:
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Winner for
Lifetime Contribution to Children’s Literature:
Donald Crews
The Theodor Seuss Giesel Award for Young Readers:
You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Books:
Many of these books are in the First Program Library, books for older students are located in the Middle School Library. For a complete list of the ALA Book Award winners and honors, please feel free to visit their website. Happy Reading!
by Vera Kochan
Demonstrates, in simple text and illustrations, that what people do and how they act is much more important than what they look like.
by Queen Rania, Consort of Abdullah II, King of Jordan
Best friends Lily and Salma disagree over their preferred foods, but after trading sandwiches to see how they taste, the girls change their minds.
by Marguerite W. Davol
A girl explains how her parents are different in color, tastes in art and food, and pet preferences, and how she herself is different too but just right.
by Leslea Newman
From the moment Donovan wakes in the morning, he painstakingly prepares for his special role in the wedding ceremony of his two mothers.
by Emily Pearson
Ordinary Mary is an ordinary girl from an ordinary school, on her way to her ordinary house-who stumbles upon ordinary blueberries. When she decides to pick them for her neighbor, Mrs. Bishop, she starts a chain reaction that multiplies around the world. Mrs. Bishop makes blueberry muffins and gives them to her paperboy and four others-one of whom is Mr. Stevens, who then helps five different people with their luggage-one of whom is Maria, who then helps five people-including a man named Joseph who didn’t have enough money for his groceries-and so on, until the deed comes back to Mary.
by Carol McCloud
Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. Bucket filling and dipping are effective metaphors for understanding the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves.
by Jon Muth
When Stillwater the bear moves into the neighborhood, the stories he tells to three siblings teach them to look at the world in new ways.
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