Ms. Barbara's Pennekamp Library Website (2010-2021)
  • Home
  • Current/News
    • Creative Fun at Home
    • Author Visits / Book Orders
    • Super Literacy Quiz Bowl (SLQB)
  • Weekly Readalouds
  • Resources
    • PK Library Catalog
    • County of LA Public Library catalog
    • County of LA Public Library databases
    • World Book Online
    • California K-12 Digital Resources
    • Britannica School
    • MBUSD Tech Resources
    • ProQuest CultureGrams
    • ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
    • Social Studies Fact Cards
    • TeachingBooks.net
  • Reading Lists
    • MBUSD Summer Reading Lists
    • ALA Youth Media Awards
    • California Young Reader Medal
    • Other Reading List Links
    • County of Los Angeles Public Library
    • Redondo Beach Public Library
  • Contests
    • Super Literacy Quiz Bowl (SLQB)
    • California Young Reader Medal
    • County of Los Angeles Public Library bookmark contest
  • Book Club

August 2021

8/16/2021

0 Comments

 
​Dear Dragons and Dragon families,
 
I hope this finds you well and that you have had a nice summer. It’s hard to believe school is about to start!
 
​The time has come for me to announce that I will not be returning to the library this fall. It was such a hard decision, but it is undeniably the right time for some lucky new person to take my place.
 
I have been PK’s library resource specialist since 2010, after holding the same position at Robinson Elementary from 2003 to 2008. Doing this work has been an honor and a joy. I treasure the friends I have made—students, families, and coworkers. I have the highest respect for the amazing books written for young people these days; this is truly a golden age of children’s literature. I cannot believe my good fortune in finding work that was so engaging, rewarding, and just plain fun.
 
To the entire school community: thank you, thank you, thank you. Your support over these many years has been key to whatever good the library has achieved. I have seen how parents’ and teachers’ enthusiasm for reading finds its way straight to the students and is evident in their eagerness for books and fondness for the library. Please continue to show goodwill toward the libraries in our schools as well as our public libraries. Libraries really matter, and we all play a part in sustaining these essential strongholds of knowledge and understanding.
 
That about does it for this final blog post, but let’s not make this goodbye! I just live a couple of blocks from school, so I hope to see you when I’m walking my dog or tending my yard. I will miss you and the library so much, but I am also curious to see what the next chapter holds. Best wishes, and happy reading!
0 Comments

June 2021

6/7/2021

0 Comments

 
June is here, and this unusual school year is wrapping up! I have been so impressed with the diligence, flexibility, and good cheer of Pennekamp's students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff. I’ve long admired all the people who make up our school community, but never more than this year!
 
Class library visits have concluded for this year. I appreciate the effort made by teachers and parents to continue this library activity throughout the school year. It's been great to stay in touch with the students, and we’ve sure read a lot of books together!
 
Circulation of library books is also done for the year. All books are due this Friday, June 11. Books can be returned to the red wagon in front of the school office, or your child may give library books to her or his teacher to be returned. If a library book has been lost or damaged beyond repair, please pay for its replacement. A book's replacement cost appears on the email "courtesy notice" sent to each patron. Please pay with a check written to MBUSD. Please put the check in an envelope, write the patron's name on the envelope, and give the check to the school office. 

The summer 2021 reading lists are posted and are full of outstanding books! The lists can be found on this website or on the district website under the tab for Parents. For students entering the elementary grades, the lists are suggestions for optional pleasure reading; there is no reading requirement for students entering grades K through 5. Students entering grade 6 at MBMS do have a summer reading requirement: two books from the list below, and one of them must be nonfiction. 
 
I sincerely appreciate MBEF funding my position during this challenging time. Likewise, the Pennekamp PTA funds the purchase of library books, materials, and events, and I am very grateful for its support. Both MBEF and the PTA rely on the generosity of PK’s families, so thank you to everyone who supports the library by contributing to MBEF and the PK PTA.
 
Last but not least, I’d like to give a big shout-out to Dr. Gerger, whose leadership and kindness have had such a positive impact at our school. Best wishes to her as she heads to Mira Costa.
 
I hope everyone has a safe and healthy summer! See you next fall!
0 Comments

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

5/23/2021

0 Comments

 
It is often the case that various important awareness events overlap, and that is the case in May. We have been focusing on Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month these past couple of weeks, but I wanted to mention that May is also Mental Health Awareness Month.

There are many online resources that discuss mental health and, in particular, give guidance on how to talk to children about concerns or issues they may be experiencing. One place to start might be the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services site MentalHealth.Gov.

Just as physical health is important, so is recognizing and caring for mental health. For anyone who is facing challenges, help and support are available, and connecting with a caring professional can make a world of difference. 
0 Comments

Summer reading event through Pages!

5/18/2021

0 Comments

 
Dragon parents, there is an informative and exciting virtual event coming up: the second Scholastic Parents Night, which will focus on ways to motivate students to read over the summer. This free event takes place on Wednesday, May 26, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. (making it more of a parents afternoon for those of us on the west coast). There will be digital swag and physical swag (limited availability). A couple of big name authors will be on the panel: Kelly Yang (Front Desk and her new book, Three Keys) and Varian Johnson (The Parker Inheritance and a new graphic novel, Twins). Register through Pages. Flyer below.
scholastic_parent_night_2.pdf
File Size: 1893 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

May 2021

5/4/2021

0 Comments

 
​All PK students are now permitted to check out books from the PK library! The limit is two books at a time. Below please find the instructions for checking out books. Checkouts will continue until May 28, but all books will be due back by June 4, so please begin rounding up or resolving any books that are overdue or missing.
 
May is Asian-American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so this month I will be reading books related to the various countries and cultures of this large and diverse region.
 
The winners of the California Young Reader Medal have been announced, and once again the voting here at PK anticipated the state winners: Poor Louie, by Tony Fucile (Primary) and Sergeant Reckless, by Patricia McCormick (Picture Books for Older Readers). The Intermediate (chapter-book) award went to Restart, by Gordon Korman.
 
The summer 2021 reading lists are now posted and are full of outstanding books! The lists can be found on this website or on the district website under the tab for Parents. For students entering the elementary grades, the lists are suggestions for optional pleasure reading; there is no reading requirement for students entering grades K through 5. Students entering grade 6 at MBMS do have a summer reading requirement: two books from the list below, and one of them must be nonfiction. Happy reading!
_________

 
To check out a book, a student needs to log in to the PK library catalog. The easiest way to get to the catalog is from this website, under the Resources tab, it is the first item on the list. From the catalog home page, choose Pennekamp. Then go to “Log In” at the upper-right corner.
 
To log in, enter the student ID number as User Name. The students have been told the Password—I’d rather not put it here on this public website. Please email me or your child’s teacher if you need the password.
 
Once a student has searched the Catalog and found a book to check out, click on the book’s title. At the right-hand side of the book’s record, click the button Hold It.
 
I will check out the book once it is put on hold. Please give me a little time to check out requests! The My Info tab of a patron’s record shows whether books are still on Hold or are now listed as Items Out.
 
Books that are checked out and ready to be picked up will be in the red wagon at the PK office. Please return library books there, too. In compliance with safe handling guidelines, returned books will be quarantined for several days before they are checked in and shelved.
 

0 Comments

Summer reading lists are posted!

4/27/2021

0 Comments

 
The summer pleasure reading lists for 2021 are now posted on the district website under the “Parents” tab as well as on the Pennekamp Library website under the “Reading Lists” tab (and right below this post). There is no summer reading requirement for elementary students in our district. The lists for students entering grades 1 through 5 consist of suggestions for fun and interesting summer reading possibilities. Enjoy browsing the lists and reading this summer!
​ 
2021_grades_1_2_summer_reading.pdf
File Size: 77 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2021_grade_3_summer_reading.pdf
File Size: 90 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2021_grades_4_5_summer_reading.pdf
File Size: 95 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Students entering grade 6 at MBMS do have a summer reading requirement: two books from the list below, and one of them must be nonfiction.
​
2021_grade_6_summer_reading.pdf
File Size: 86 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

April 2021

4/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Hello, Dragons and Dragon families! I hope you had a happy and healthy spring break.

The library is closed this week. I am taking some vacation time to supervise a remodeling project. Library Zooms and circulation will resume on April 19.

Just announced is a super exciting online visit with Jeff Kinney in coordination with {Pages}, our local and beloved independent bookstore! The links are not active in the graphic below. To sign up click HERE. 
Picture
0 Comments

March 2021 update

3/22/2021

0 Comments

 
All PK students are now permitted to check out books from the PK library. The limit is two books at a time, and the loan period is three weeks.
 
To check out a book, a student needs to log in to the PK library catalog. The easiest way to get to the catalog is from this website, under the Resources tab, it is the first item on the list. From the catalog home page, choose Pennekamp. Then go to “Log In” at the upper-right corner.
 
To log in, enter the student ID number as User Name. The students have been told the Password—I’d rather not put it here on this public website. Please email me or your child’s teacher if you need the password.
 
Once a student has searched the Catalog and found a book to check out, click on the book’s title. At the right-hand side of the book’s record, click the button Hold It.
 
I will check out the book once it is put on hold. Please give me a little time to check out requests! The My Info tab of a patron’s record shows whether books are still on Hold or are now listed as Items Out.
 
Books that are checked out and ready to be picked up will be in the red wagon at the PK office. Please return library books there, too. In compliance with safe handling guidelines, returned books will be quarantined for several days before they are checked in and shelved.

I hope you enjoy checking out and reading books from the PK library! Please contact Ms. Barbara with any questions or concerns. Please note, I am not on campus Wednesday and usually not on Thursday, so please do check the My Info tab before assuming books are ready to be picked up.

0 Comments

March 2021

3/6/2021

0 Comments

 
​How nice it is to have the students back on campus! Library time continues to be on Zoom, but it’s great to catch glimpses of the students as I walk around campus (socially distant and masked, of course) and to hear the occasional “Hi, Ms. Barbara!”
 
The books I am reading this month are about spring, math (March 14 is Pi Day), water (March 22 is World Water Day), and the accomplishments of women (March is Women’s History Month).
 
The Pennekamp book fair is March 12 to 21! It is a virtual fair in partnership with Pages, our local independent bookstore. In library time during the week of March 15, students will watch a great video prepared by Pages about the excellent titles that are for sale. If you are able, please support our school by buying a book or two at the fair.
Picture

​And here again are the instructions for checking out books:

Students in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 are currently permitted to check out books from the PK library. The limit is two books at a time, and the loan period is three weeks.
 
To check out a book, a student needs to log in to the PK library catalog. The easiest way to get to the catalog is from this website, under the Resources tab, it is the first item on the list. From the catalog home page, choose Pennekamp. Then go to “Log In” at the upper-right corner.
 
To log in, enter the student ID number as User Name. The students have been told the Password—I’d rather not put it here on this public website. Please email me or your child’s teacher if you need the password.
 
Once a student has searched the Catalog and found a book to check out, click on the book’s title. At the right-hand side of the book’s record, click the button Hold It.
 
I will check out the book once it is put on hold. Please give me a little time to check out requests! The My Info tab of a patron’s record shows whether books are still on Hold or are now listed as Items Out.
 
Books that are checked out and ready to be picked up will be in the red wagon at the PK office. Please return library books there, too. In compliance with safe handling guidelines, returned books will be quarantined for several days before they are checked in and shelved.
0 Comments

Historical fiction books for grade 5

2/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Students in grade 5 who are looking for a historical fiction chapter book have many options. The PK library has quite a few books in this genre! 

The MBUSD library catalog for all schools can be found here. For PK students, the procedure for logging in and holding a book is described in great detail below--scroll down three blog posts and you'll find it. That's what you should do to borrow a book from the PK library.

To see what books the PK library has, visit the library catalog, and use the search feature. When you find a book that interests you, click on the number of copies (at right of the title), and you can see which schools have a copy.  

A good way to find historical fiction books suitable for use that are in the PK library is to go to the PK library catalog, click on the Catalog tab, click on Resource Lists at the left of the page, and scroll down to PK 5th Historical Fic. Remember the things we've discussed, students! Click on the book's title to see what it is about, if a copy is in, how many pages it is, and what the Reading Level is (the "difficulty" of the text, expressed as grade level). Make a good choice and click the Hold It button. (You have to be logged in to hold a book, so if there is no Hold It button, be sure you are logged in.)

Students from other elementary schools who are in a PK class can check out books from PK's library if they would like, or from their "home" school library if it is currently checking out books, and of course from the public library system.

Students from other schools cannot log in to the PK catalog, so those students cannot use the hold procedure to request PK library books. I'm sorry, it's just a limitation of the system. Students from other schools can request PK library books by emailing me or their teacher. The books need to be picked up from and returned to the red wagon in front of the PK school office during school hours. (It may take me a day or two to have them ready!)

There are many websites and blogs (e.g., Goodreads, Book Riot, Reading Rockets) that have lists of historical fiction books for students in grade 5. Try an internet search such as "middle grade historical fiction" or "historical fiction for grade 5." Obviously I am not endorsing every result that comes up! However, you will soon see there are many excellent lists, and also many titles that turn up on more than one list, so with a little research you should be able to find some good options.

Any questions, please do not hesitate to email me.
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Barbara Siegemund-Broka, library resource specialist, maintains this blog to inform Pennekamp students and families about library news and related content. Any opinions expressed here are solely her own. 

    What's Ms. Barbara reading?

    Picture
    How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, by Jenny Odell
    ​
    Worth repeating:

    His eyes are soft. “Do you know why I became a librarian?”
       I wait for him to tell me, because of course I don’t.
       “Dewey,” he says. “As in the decimal system.”
       I’m not sure if he’s joking or not, but he continues, “I like order. I like organization. The idea of all the information in the world, all organized, everything in its place—I like that idea.”
       He clears his throat. “But I’ve been doing this job for a long time. And the thing I’ve learned is that stories aren’t about order and organization. They’re about feelings. And the feelings don’t always make sense. See, stories are like …” He pauses, brow furrowing, then nods, satisfied in finding the right comparison: “Water. Like rain. We can hold them tight, but they always slip through our fingers.”
       I try to hide my shock. Joe doesn’t seem like the poetic type.
       His caterpillar eyebrows knit together. “That can be scary. But remember that water gives us life. It connects continents. It connects people. And in quiet moments, when the water’s still, sometimes we can see our own reflection.”
     
    --From When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Heller, winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal

    Archives

    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010

    Categories

    All
    Abraham Lincoln
    Ala Youth Media Awards
    American Revolution
    American West
    Apples
    Asian Pacific Island Heritage Month
    Authors Week
    Baseball
    Bears
    Black History Month
    Book Club
    Book Fair
    Bookmark Contest
    Brain Awareness Week
    Butterflies
    California Gold Rush
    California Statehood
    California Young Reader Medal
    Catalog
    Childrens Dental Health Month
    Chinese New Year
    Civil War
    Class Visits
    Clothing
    Colors
    Common Core Standards
    Cook Prize
    Destiny Quest App
    Dewey Decimal System
    Dinosaurs
    Earth Day
    Endangered Animals
    Fathers Day
    Fire Prevention Week
    Groundhog Day
    Guinea Pigs
    Halloween
    Hanukkah
    Hispanic Heritage Month
    International Dot Day
    Inventors
    Learning To Read
    Lewis & Clark
    Lewis Clark647b236af7
    Libraries
    Literacy Month
    Love Stories
    Manhattan Beach Education Foundation
    Manhattan Beach Historical Society
    Manhattan Beach Rotary Club
    Maps
    Martin Luther King Jr.
    Memorial Day
    Mothers Day
    National Bicycle Month
    National Library Week
    National Poetry Month
    Native Americans
    New Books
    Olympics
    Overdue Books
    Paleontology
    Pennekamp Pride Traits
    Pennekamp Pta
    Pirates
    Poem In Your Pocket Day
    Poem-in-your-pocket Day
    Poetry
    Pta
    Public Library Events
    Random Acts Of Kindness Week
    Roundhouse Aquarium
    Saint Patricks Day
    Saint Patricks Dayf547019d60
    Scholastic Book Clubs
    School
    School Library Month
    Science Night
    Science Week
    Screenfree Week171457ec08
    Seasons
    Sea Stories
    Self-acceptance
    September 11
    Simple Machines
    Snow
    Solar System
    Summer Reading
    Summer Reading List
    Summer Vacation
    Thanksgiving
    Toys
    Trees
    U.N. International Day Of Peace
    U.s. Presidents
    Valentine
    Veterans Day
    Volunteers
    Weather
    Women
    Women's History Month
    Womens History Month
    World Food Day
    World Water Day

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.