A huge shout-out to Mrs. Julie Jones, who took care of the library last week during my absence! I've heard such nice things about her from the students and parents today, and there's literally no one I'd trust more with "my" library, so thanks very much, Mrs. Jones!

This week's theme for the readalouds is adventure. We are on shortened days, with dismissal at 12:45 every day except Wednesday, which is the usual 1:30. Several classes have shifted their times accordingly, but others (notably grades 4 and 5) will not have library this week. With Monday being a holiday, there are few empty time slots into which classes can move.

The end of the year is upon us. This week is the last week to check out books from the library this year. Friday, June 2, is the last day! Students in grade 5 are no longer checking out because they are beginning to get their permission slips signed, which indicates that they no longer have library books. All books are due on or before June 9. Classes will visit the library next week but will not be checking out books--returns only next week.

A hold will be placed on the report card of any student who fails to return or pay for his or her library books by the end of the school year. A hold will also be placed on a student's report card if his or her parent has unresolved library books at the end of the school year. Please return all library books OR pay for any that have been lost or significantly damaged. I can tell you the price of books for which payment must be made. Payment must be in exact change or a check payable to MBUSD.

Next Monday is the last meeting of the book club for 5th-grade students. Our current selection is Hello, Universe, by Erin Entrada Kelly--many copies are available at the Manhattan Beach public library.

Michael Mackavoy, the children's librarian from the Manhattan Beach public library, will be presenting assemblies next week for all grades to explain the public library's summer reading program. The assemblies are Wednesday, June 7, scheduled as follows: K & grade 1, 10:35 to 10:55; grades 2 & 3, 11:05 to 11:25; grades 4 & 5, 1:00 to 1:25. There are many great events coming up at our local public library. Take a look by clicking here.

This week our theme for Weekly Readalouds and books on display is art and creativity. Specific titles can be found here.

The library remodel is really pretty much done for this year! Today a lovely new area rug arrived--shout out to local flooring distributor Carpet Spectrum for help with that! My sincere thanks to the PTA and Dr. Brown for initiating and funding these awesome improvements to our library.

The new Poem-in-Your-Pocket poster is up! Come by the library and see if you can find your photo among the more than 300 on this year's poster. Great job to all the students and teachers who wrote, read, and carried poems during this special week.

There have been a lot of contest winners announced lately, so I thought I'd list some of them here. It can be hard to choose books among the great many that are being published all the time; sometimes turning to award winners can help make the choice. The California Young Reader Medal has been awarded to the following books: Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, by Mac Barnett; Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson; and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, by Chris Grabenstein. The Cook Prize for an outstanding book in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, or math) went to Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West, by Emma Bland Smith. The winner this year of the Caldecott Medal (for illustration) was Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, by Javaka Steptoe. I just finished The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill--the winner of the Newbery Medal (for writing)--and I thought it was terrific. 

I have been meaning to mention that during the month of May, the County of Los Angeles public libraries are forgiving overdue fines! If you have any materials that are late, please return them and ask to have the overdue fines cleared. If you previously returned something late and now have a fine on your account, ask to have that fine cleared. It's just for the month of May, but it's a great way to make a fresh start with the public library system. All MBUSD libraries are closed over the summer, so chances are you will be relying on the public libraries then; and there are so many outstanding services and programs at the public library year 'round, you really want to feel comfortable there!

Speaking of great public library services, and with summer coming up, take at look at the public library's Discover & Go program. With an LA County Library card, you can reserve free passes to many local museums and cultural attractions. That's a great deal.

The summer reading lists are on the MBUSD website. The lists for students in grades 1 & 2, grade 3, and grades 4 & 5 are nonrequired: the books on these lists have received strong reviews or have been popular around our school district, but they are not curricular choices and they are not required reading. 

The book club for 5th-grade students met Monday. I'm still computing the ratings of our last two books, but meanwhile, we have chosen our selection for June: Hello, Universe, by Erin Entrada Kelly. 

This week in the Readalouds we are celebrating Asian/Pacific Heritage Month. Most of the books are favorites of mine, including Luka's Quilt, Basho and the River Stones, Two of Everything, and I, Doko. Grade 5 is hearing poems about the presidents, as a follow-up to Poem-in-Your-Pocket week. The new Pocket  Poem poster should by up by Monday, if not sooner.

This is a fun week at Pennekamp: Poem-in-Your-Pocket Week! Everyone is encouraged to carry a poem this week and be ready to share it with friends and classmates. Photos will be taken of students who bring a poem to the library, and there will be time during class visits to read poems aloud. 

The MBUSD summer reading lists have been updated! Students going from 5th grade to MBMS have required reading--3 books from that list, of which one must be a nonfiction choice (marked on the list with a little # symbol). Younger grades may choose books from the summer "pleasure reading" (nonrequired) lists, prepared collaboratively by the MBUSD elementary library media specialists. If your child wants to read books not on the lists, or from a list that doesn't correspond to his or her grade, that is very much "allowed"! The most important thing is that students read over the summer. Pennekamp will in fact be visited on June 7 by librarians from the Manhattan Beach public library, who will be promoting the summer reading program they offer to encourage summer reading.

Copies of The Gauntlet are now available at the Manhattan Beach public library for students in the 5th-grade book club. Please ask for one at the children's information desk. Thank you for your patience, dear club members, and thanks to the library for getting the copies for us. Our next club meeting is Monday, May 8, but the book moves along very quickly (thank goodness!).