This week at the Pennekamp library is Poem-in-Your-Pocket week. Our event is based on the national Poem-in-Your-Pocket Day, which is next on April 18, 2013. I am holding our pocket poem event during our school literacy celebration; and to allow students to share poems during their class library visits, our poetry event will span the whole week! 

To participate, any student (or parent or teacher) carries a poem in his or her pocket to share with others, to give to someone, or just to have handy in the event a bit of poetry is needed. Any student who comes by the library with his or her poem can be photographed for our Pocket Poem poster. Students can read their poems aloud during library time if they wish. Teachers will be furnished with a poem every day to keep in their pocket, to post, or to read aloud. And in keeping with the library's "no stress" policy, this event is completely optional and just for fun. 

Students in grade 4 and 5 will have the chance to try out the ETTC Poem Generator, which provides poetry "templates" for quickly and easily creating an original poem. 

All classes (except DK/TK) will be hearing poetry books, some of which are pictured below. DK/TK will be focusing on simple machines and enjoying an annual favorite--the video for "This Too Shall Pass," by OK GO, which features a giant "Rube Goldberg" style machine composed of the simple machines being studied (wedges, pulleys, levers, etc.). 

This week has been a week of science-themed books, in honor of Pennekamp's Science Week. Tonight's Science Night is a high point of the week, with exhibits, guest speakers, and an opportunity to view the 4th- and 5th-graders' science fair projects.

The coming week includes "Pi Day," on March 14--otherwise written as 3.14 (which happens to be the birthday of Albert Einstein, coincidentally). Classes will be hearing books about math and numbers.

Friday, March 8, is the next book club meeting. We will be discussing The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy. Our next book selection will be Cardboard, by Doug TenNapel--chosen for its brevity and also in honor of the library's new Graphic Novels section. I will have several copies of Cardboard available for students wishing to obtain one, for a reimbursement cost of $7.00. 

We have completed voting on the nominees for the California Young Reader Medal. The winners at Pennekamp are Memoirs of a Goldfish, by Devin Scillian, in the Primary category; and Nubs: The Story of a Mutt, a Marine, and a Miracle, by Major Brian Dennis, in the category Picture Books for Older Readers. Complete results can be seen here. Statewide winners will be announced on May 1.

The week of March 18 will be Poem-in-Your Pocket week at Pennekamp. Students are asked to carry a poem with them in their pocket that week to share with friends. I will be photographing students with their poems to create a new pocket poem poster. Teachers will be provided with a daily poem to share with their classes. Poem-in-Your Pocket Day is a national poetry event that, this year, will be on April 18. We are doing our event a little earlier, to add to Pennekamp's Literacy Celebration, which concludes on March 22.