This week in the library we have been previewing books that will be available for purchase at our upcoming book fair, December 2 to 6. This week is also teacher conference week, so all days are minimum days (12:45 dismissal). Family night at the book fair is Thursday, December 5, from 5:30 to 7:30. I understand there will be a magic demonstration at 6:15, pizza sold by our 5th-graders, and of course great books to buy. 

Thursday, November 21, most classes will not be able to visit the library because it will be used for vision and hearing screening. As soon as the screeners are done, I am happy to allow classes to visit; but usually the screening does take the better part of the day.

The Mira Costa Vocal Ensemble is competing in KUSC's Local Vocal High School Choir  Sing-Off. It's quick and easy to cast your vote for this amazing group, directed by award-winning teacher Michael Hayden.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pennekamp families! Among many things, I am grateful for books, friends, libraries, and our school community. Have a restful and fun-filled break.

This week we are preparing for the Thanksgiving break by looking at books about life in the past. In my childhood, holidays provided an opportunity to hear family stories. Research has shown that knowing family stories benefits children in numerous ways: "The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned." Family stories also contribute to children's development as writers, whether family members serve as storytellers or audiences.      

One book this week relates to Veterans Day: Henry and the Cannons, by Don Brown, a nonfiction book about the American Revolution. Grade 5 will hear 14 Cows for America, nominated for the California Young Reader Medal. 

Next week I will be talking with classes about the upcoming Pennekamp book fair, which takes place in the cafeteria the week right after Thanksgiving break (which is also teacher conference week): December 2 to 6. The winter holidays are coming up; and while the library is a great source of reading material, receiving a new book of one's own is undeniably a treat for any child. Speaking of, there will be an opportunity at the fair to purchase a book for a child in a neighboring community who may not be able to afford many new books.

The incoming Common Core Standards promote the reading of nonfiction. Every class this week will be looking at at least one nonfiction book (indicated on the Weekly Readalouds post).

Many nonfiction books are creatively and beautifully written, in addition to being terrifically interesting, so consider including nonfiction in the selections you read with your children. In a library catalog such as ours, a book with numerals in its call number is generally a nonfiction book (but watch out for the call number 398.2, folklore and fairy tales, where you'll find works such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and the like). Is there a topic you and your student would like to know more about? Type that term in the catalog's search window and choose a "Subject" or "Keyword" search. In the records that are retrieved, the call number allows you to distinguish between nonfiction and fiction works, and to locate the book in our library. Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 have seen the catalog demonstrated many times during class library visits. It might be fun to ask your son or daughter to be your "teacher"--to show you how we look for materials in our library catalog!

You are invited to visit the library to learn more about catalog searching or to check out books. The library is open during school hours: from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Parents may visit with or without their students except when the library is in use for a class visit. Parents may check out 10 books at a time. 

Please note, next Monday, November 11, is Veterans Day, a school holiday. 

This is MBEF pledge week. Please contribute to MBEF, which supports our schools--and notably our school libraries--so generously and essentially. Without MBEF, we simply would not have many of the programs that enrich our students' lives and develop their minds. I am grateful to MBEF as a district employee, the parent of two young men educated in our school district, and a member of this community.