For the past few weeks, students K-3 have been working very hard in a new unit involving the democratic process of elections, inspired by the recent presidential election. During the first week, students read Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Leuyen Pham. In the book, students are introduced to the concept of what makes a good leader, how to campaign and a simplified version of the electoral college.

 

After this book, students raised their hands and nominated potential candidates (“the Library Lion would be a good president, but David from No David! would be a bad president!”) and librarians Maria Paz Alegre and Lynn Frielinghaus narrowed it down to 5 potential candidates:

 

Piggie & Gerald, Library Lion, Amelia Bedelia, Ling & Ting, Paper Bag Princess!

Students were broken into groups and asked to campaign for different candidates by listing reasons that they would make good presidents (“Amelia Bedelia tries her best no matter what! The Library Lion loves kids! The Paper Bag Princess is very smart!”) After campaigning with their classmates, students were checked off one by one and allowed to vote! Their names were checked off of lists, votes were done in private voting booths on iPads, and each student received a “I Voted Today!” sticker!

 

    

Congratulations to all of our young voters! And the winner of the Little Dalton Library Presidential Election is…

PIGGIE & GERALD!!!

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On Friday, October 21^st, the First Program Library was thrilled to host Grace Lin! Grace Lin is an award winning author and illustrator for children and has over 20 published books. Her work spans picture books, “I Can Read” books and novels. Grace grew up in upstate New York and aside from her two sisters, she was the only Asian-American student in her school for most of her elementary school years. As she grew older, Grace learned to appreciate her Chinese culture and began incorporating characteristics from Eastern art and myths into her work.

 

For Kindergarten and First Grade students, Grace created an interactive presentation which demonstrated “How a Book is Made,” taking students through the process from first sketches to a finished product. Students were excited to volunteer, reading lines and giving advice as her Editor, Designer and Printers. Her presentation with the 2nd and 3^rd grade students focused on the myths that inspired her Newbery Honor award-winning book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which 2^nd graders have been reading during their library classes. Student volunteers donned costumes and played roles in Chinese folklore in a reader’s theater play!

In our continuing efforts to promote equity and diversity in school and in literature, Grace’s visit marks the first time the First Program Library has hosted an Asian-American author, who almost exclusively features Asian and Asian-Americans as the main characters in all of her stories. Students K-2 have been particularly delighted with her books series featuring the Asian-American twins, Ling and Ting, which First Program Librarians Maria and Lynn have been reading with students in preparation for Grace Lin’s visit. Growing up, Grace was disheartened to find that few (if any) fictional characters in books looked like her or her family, which is why she makes a strong effort to fill her books with vibrant and colorful paintings of Asian and Asian-American children. Students who are familiar with Asian-American culture were proud to feel represented and eagerly shared language and stories with their classmates, while students unfamiliar with Asian-Americans in literature were given a wonderful window into their classmates stories and international folklore.

3^rd Grade student Sophie S. was so inspired by Grace Lin’s visit, that she eagerly wrote, “Grace didn’t just give us ‘author tips’ like many other visiting authors who come to First Program. I thought it was really unique that not only did she talk about her books, but she gave information about her family, her Asian background, and she taught us how to draw a Chinese luck dragon. Grace Lin is an amazing author and more people should check out her books!”

We could not be happier with Grace Lin’s visit. And, don’t forget, the book fair is taking place on Nov. 7th and 8th and will feature many of Grace Lin’s autographed books!

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It has been a VERY exciting month in the library. During April and into May, library classes were regaled with children’s poetry from around the world. Favorite poets included Neruda, Prelutsky, Katz and everyone’s favorite children’s poet, Shel Silverstein! In celebration of this delightful month, we created our first “Poet-Tree” filled with poem leaves created by students. It was such a success that librarians continued to add student work to the poet-tree during international lessons with kindergarten students including piñata leaves and butterfly wishes. These two elements correspond to two of the books read during their book plane journey around the world, Pancho’s Piñata (Mexico) and The Faerie’s Wish (Ireland) as they continue their journey across the continents for new and fascinating folk tales.

          

 

Many of our youngest students have questions about the election and in keeping with their interests, we devised a “Battle of the Books” election for K-1. Each week, the students would vote on their favorite book choices until each “primary” was narrowed down to two champions in the big “general election.” The winner of BOTH grades for the best beloved library book of the year is:

 

This means that Finding Winnie has the enviable position of brandishing not 1, but 3 gold medals! The 2016 Caldecott Medal, and the Dalton FP Library Kindergarten and First Grade 2016 Medals.

 

In classes, grades 1-3 are continuing their study of the dewey decimal system, examining books from every non-fiction subject including animals, technology, true-life adventures and history. Our goal is for our students to discover how to organize information into different subjects and use a cataloging system to locate them in a library. Up next, we will be sharing and celebrating stories for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month. Stay tuned!

 

 

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April is a big month in the library! During the month of April, classes are delighted with read-alouds from favorite children’s poets including Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Alan Katz, Doug Florian and Robert Frost. We also celebrate National Library Week which takes place during April 10-16.

In honor of this week, K-1 students have begun a “book bracket challenge” with Ms. Maria Alegre! Similar to the sports brackets during March Madness, children are asked to close their eyes and vote on their favorite books in the library. The winner of the favorite Kindergarten book and the favorite First Grade book will be announced in May.

Second and Third grade students celebrated the 100th (!) birthday of beloved children’s book author, Beverly Cleary. Ms. Cleary is the author of famed novels including Ramona, Mouse and the Motorcycle, Henry Huggins and many more. She is also the creator of DEAR time, a time used in schools across the world where students (D)rop (E)verything (A)nd (R)ead! Students in grades 2-3 are also learning about the origins and history of libraries including how membership was limited to elite citizens only. Students are also learning information about illuminated texts created by the clergy, complimenting a project the third students will be working on in the following weeks.

While first graders learn to identify different call numbers (Picture Books, Biography, Non-Fiction), the third graders are using their iPads to explore the online library catalog with searches for specific authors, titles and keywords.

      

 

 

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The Dalton School First Program Library was honored to host the award winning author Misty Copeland! Misty has received the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award New Writer Honor and for her book “Firebird” which has also received the Coretta Scott King Illustrator award.

But perhaps Misty Copeland is best known for being the first African-American prima ballerina in history. She has danced performed at Lincoln Center, she has performed on Broadway, she has performed for the president, her commercial for ‘Under Armor’ sportswear has nearly 10 million views, and the accolades go on and on.

Students were riveted by her reading as well as the lively question and answer session which followed afterwards, assisted by FP Librarian, Maria Alegre.

More pictures and video of the event can be found on the internal Dalton website here.

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Third graders have been reading, reading, reading this year, and would like to share their recommendations with you.

Click on the title of this post to read their reviews in the comments’ section!

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This week we celebrate Ally Week at Dalton – a celebration of all types of families and the people who make the choice to be an ally to those who need support. We were very lucky to welcome Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson for our House 91 to read aloud from their bestselling picture book, And Tango Makes Three – the incredible true story of two male penguins in the Central Park Zoo who adopt a lone egg and become fathers to a baby penguin chick.

The children ADORED the story and were very vociferous in their desire to announce that they too are allies.  In honor of Ally Week, we will be reading several books aloud to our classes which celebrates people who challenge gender normativity, books which celebrate all types of families and books which feature a moment where someone becomes an Ally.

• The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
• Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer
• Crow Boy by Taro Yashima
• The White Swan Express by Jean Okimoto
• The Case for Loving by Selina Alko

Below is a book list of new books (and a few classics) to consider reading for Ally Week:

Red: A Crayons Story by Michael Hall

• Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. His teacher tries to help him be red (let’s draw strawberries!), … and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. But Red is miserable. He just can’t be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. He’s blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone!

My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

• Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He’s a Princess Boy. Inspired by the author’s son, and by her own initial struggles to understand, this is a heart-warming book about unconditional love and one remarkable family. It is also a call for tolerance and an end to bullying and judgments. The world is a brighter place when we accept everyone for who they are.

I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings

• From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and~dressing up as a mermaid~and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to~a doctor~who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers,~their parents, and teachers.

This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman

• In a wildly whimsical, validating, and exuberant reflection of the LGBT community, this title welcomes readers to experience a pride celebration and share in a day when we are all united. Also included is a reading guide chock-full of facts about LGBT history and culture, as well as a ‘Note to Parents and Caregivers’ with information on how to talk to children about sexual orientation and gender identity in age-appropriate ways.

Stella Brings the Family by Miriam B. Schiffer

• It’s time to celebrate Mother’s Day in Stella’s class. Everyone has a female parent coming, including Howie, who has two mothers. But Stella is the only kid in her class with two fathers. And while her school is clearly progressive and multicultural, her peers are nonetheless perplexed (even Howie asks, “But who reads you bedtime stories like my mothers do for me?”). When Stella realizes that several people-in addition to her fathers-play maternal roles in her life, the problem is solved, although it does add quite a few folks to the guest list… The writing is warmhearted but sharply observed… this story seems as light as a soufflé, but actually offers plenty of food for thought.

10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert

• Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows. . . . Unfortunately, when Bailey’s awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary. “You’re a BOY!” Mother and Father tell Bailey. “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey’s dreams come true!

Made by Raffi by Craig Pomranz

• Raffi is a shy boy who doesnít like noisy games and is often teased at school. But when he gets the idea of making a scarf for his dadís birthday, he is full of enthusiasm even though the other children think it is girly to knit. Then the day draws near for the school pageant, and there is one big problem: no costume for the prince. And that is when Raffi has his most brilliant idea of all – to make a prince’s cape. On the day of the pageant, Raffi’s cape is the star of the show.

Goblinheart by Bret Axel

• Using “fairy” and “goblin” in lieu of female and male, the author has created a timely allegorical fairy tale. A youngster named Julep, who lives in a forest tribe, insists on growing up to be a goblin rather than a fairy. The tribe learns to accept that Julep is a goblin at heart, eventually coming around to support the physical transition that must be made for Julep to live as a goblin.

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino

• Morris is a little boy who loves using his imagination. But most of all, Morris loves wearing the tangerine dress in his classroom’s dress-up center. The children in Morris’s class don’t understand. Dresses, they say, are for girls. And Morris certainly isn’t welcome in the spaceship some of his classmates are building. Astronauts, they say, don’t wear dresses. One day when Morris feels all alone and sick from their taunts, his mother lets him stay home from school. Morris dreams of a fantastic space adventure with his cat, Moo. Inspired by his dream, Morris paints the incredible scene he saw and brings it with him to school. He builds his own spaceship, hangs his painting on the front of it and takes two of his classmates on an outer space adventure.

My Family, Your Family by Lisa Bullard

• Diversity is a crucial issue, and this series effectively highlights the differences among various ethnic groups, religions, and types of households and shows readers that though different beliefs and customs exist, all are equally worthy of respect. The books are told from the first-person perspectives of young protagonists who interact with people in their communities, which will help kids relate directly to the subject matter. The cheerful, appealing illustrations complement the text, which is clear and straightforward yet also nuanced and culturally sensitive…the series emphasizes that it’s best not to ignore differences but to learn more about them.

The Case for Loving: the Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko

• For most children these days it would come as a great shock to know that before 1967, they could not marry a person of a race different from their own. That was the year that the Supreme Court issued its decision in Loving v. Virginia. This is the story of one brave family: Mildred Loving, Richard Perry Loving, and their three children. It is the story of how Mildred and Richard fell in love, and got married in Washington, D.C. But when they moved back to their hometown in Virginia, they were arrested (in dramatic fashion) for violating that state’s laws against interracial marriage. The Lovings refused to allow their children to get the message that their parents’ love was wrong and so they fought the unfair law, taking their case all the way to the Supreme Court – and won!

*Classic Recommendations

Lafcadio: the Lion Who Shot Back by Shel Silverstein

• Shel Silverstein’s first children’s book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Backóa whimsical tale of self-discovery and marshmallows…Is a famous, successful, and admired lion a happy lion? Or is he a lion at all? First published in 1963, this book had rave reviews from the New York Times, Time magazine, and Publishers Weekly, as well as a starred review from Kirkus. Now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

• Ferdinand is the world’s most peaceful–and–beloved little bull. While all of the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content to just sit and smell the flowers under his favorite cork tree. Leaf’s simple storytelling paired with Lawson’s pen-and-ink drawings make The Story of Ferdinand a true classic.

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In honor of Earth Day, all students at First Program have been reading books focused around environmentalism. In Kindergarden, students have been riveted by the true story of William Kamkwamba – a 14 year old boy from Malawi who built his own windmill and powered his village.

 

In first grade students learn about Mama Mati, the Johnny Appleseed of Kenya who is responsible for thousands of new trees. They also explore a future world which has been victimized by pollution and are introduced into how the smallest changes can make the biggest differences in Chris Van Allsberg’s Just A Dream.

 

The second and third graders learned of Rachel Carson in Rachel: the Story of Rachel Carson. Rachel was a marine biologist and conservationist who challenged large corporations with her books about the harmful effects of pesticides on wildlife. She is revered by scientists and environmentalist and even has a woodland preserve named in her honor.

 

Happy Earth Day everyone!

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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!

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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!

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