From the Library of Congress's Legislative Guide to Women's History Month: 

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week."  Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week."  In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month."  Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month.  Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”

The library will be recognizing Women's History Month this week by displaying and reading to all grades books that recognize the ambitions and accomplishments of women.

Also this week voting on the "Intermediate" nominees for the California Young Reader Medal will take place in Mrs. Hunt's third-grade class, as Mrs. Hunt read all three nominees aloud to her class.

Scholastic orders were distributed last week. New order forms will go home in two weeks. Thank you for purchasing from Scholastic Books. The points your orders generate provide free high-interest books for Pennekamp's library and classrooms.

Book club meetings are coming up: 4th-grade book club will meet Friday, March 16; 5th-grade book club will meet Friday, March 23.

Also on March 16 the library will provide frozen fruit bars for all 5th-grade students who have earned a place in the Catalog Search Hall of Fame. I am proud of all the students for practicing their catalog search skills. 

This week it is anticipated that the "app" for Destiny Quest will be loaded on all iPads throughout the district. Destiny Quest is a very user-friendly and visually appealing version of the library's catalog. Try it, you are likely to find that it is fun and easy-to-use for students and parents alike. The free Destiny Quest app is also available for newer Android phones and iPhones. 

I wish to thank the Manhattan Beach Historical Society for the gift to our library of $600 for the purchase on history-themed books. The gift was presented last Wednesday night at the school board meeting. I wish also to recognize Anna Graves, a Pennekamp 5th-grader, who appeared with me before the school board. With poise and eloquence, she read her exemplary paragraph on how the study of history prepares a person to make wise decisions and contribute positively to society. I am immensely grateful for the Historical Society's support of our students and school libraries. 

This week is Authors Week. We are fortunate to have not just one but two authors visiting Pennekamp: Debra Garfinkle (who writes as D. L. Green) and D.J. MacHale. They will address our students during assemblies on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

In other library news, the book club for 4th grade met last Friday. We had a good time discussing The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and making our own origami Yodas. Our next selection is Marley: A Dog Like No Other, by John Grogan. The next meeting will be March 16, a couple of weeks after the talent show.

The book club for 5th grade meets this Friday. We will discuss The Merchant of Death, by D.J. MacHale. We have already chosen our selection for the meeting after this one: The Aviary, by Kathleen O'Dell. Unlike most of our choices, this one is very new and thus may be available only in hardcover and e-book editions.

Please note: Scholastic book orders are due by February 15. The items that are ordered will be distributed after ski week. Thanks to the many volunteers who assist with the Scholastic flyers--I couldn't do it without you!

On Wednesday night, February 1, it will be my pleasure and honor to go before the school board to receive a generous gift from the Manhattan Beach Historical Society. As in years past, the society is giving the library $600 for the purchase of new books related to history, and the same amount is going to other district libraries. Accompanying me will be 5th-grader Anna Graves, who will read her paragraph on the theme "why learning about history is important to me," to express our students' appreciation as well as the significance of the gift to our students' learning. The Manhattan Beach Historical Society does terrific work in our community to preserve the history of Manhattan Beach. Right now, you can add your name to a commemorative centennial book for our town, a copy of which would make an excellent keepsake for generations to come. 

Pennekamp's "Authors' Week" is next week, February 6 to 10. This is a unique literary event that allows our students to meet real authors, learn about the writing process, and discover new books. This year Debra Garfinkle (who writes under the name D. L. Green) will be the author for grades K through 3, while D. J. MacHale will present to grades 4 and 5. The authors' books can be preordered for autographing--contact the school office for details. 
 
Book club for grade 4 meets this Friday, February 3, at lunch recess in the library. We will be discussing The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger. Book club for grade 5 meets next week--Friday, February 10--and we will discuss the first book in the Pendragon series, The Merchant of Death, by D. J. MacHale. 

February has so many special days, it's hard to know where to begin! We are still in the midst of celebrating Chinese (or lunar) New Year. Thursday, February 2, is Groundhog Day. Coming up we have Lincoln's birthday, Valentine's Day, and Washington's birthday (celebrated on the Presidents Day holiday). February is also Black History Month. I will do my best to enhance the students' holiday experience by displaying and reading aloud books on these themes in the coming weeks.

Scholastic flyers are being distributed tomorrow, January 31, in the Tuesday envelope. Orders are due by February 15. Orders will be distributed after ski week, not before. A big "hooray!" goes out to the many fantastic volunteers who organized and stapled the Scholastic flyers for distribution. Purchasing from Scholastic generates points with which our library and teachers can acquire books free of charge. Many people ask why we cannot order online. The reason is, to promote children's safety in the face of so much online data collection, the Scholastic online order form does not include a customer's (i.e., a child's) last name. Because the library collects orders and money from the entire school, it seems to me essential to have a clear record of who is ordering--including the customer's last name, which is not part of the online order form. The paper forms record first and last names, without exposing that information on the internet, where prying eyes might invade a child's or family's privacy.

On a  brighter note, our library's catalog now is accessible on the internet (at http://destiny.mbusd.org) and as a new app for your iPad or smartphone! This free app, called Destiny Quest, can be obtained through the Apple App Store or Android Market. It's quick and easy to download and use! 

This week Pennekamp holds its Mrs. Nelson's Book Fair. DK classes do visit the library this week, but all other classes use the time they would normally devote to library to, instead, visit the book fair. Proceeds from the book fair benefit the Pennekamp PTA; but the enthusiasm for reading that arises from seeing all those beautiful new books benefits our students, families, teachers, and community. The library does have a book fair "wish list," for anyone who would like to donate a book to the library's collection. Thanks to the generous families who have already done so!

DK classes will be hearing books having to do with the weather, which they are currently studying.

In other library news, Scholastic orders have been sent in and books should arrive soon--probably next week. Without many class visits this week I have been busy cataloging books acquired through the use of Scholastic points. It bears repeating, thank you so much for purchasing through Scholastic. The points that accrue through your orders play a very significant role in our library's acquisitions. A list of recent acquisitions can be viewed on this website.

The book club for grade 5 next meets on Friday, December 9. Belly Up, by Stuart Gibbs, is the current selection, which we will discuss that day. It is a mystery involving the death of Henry Hippo, mascot for the FunJungle zoo. I just finished it and really enjoyed it. Bits of factual information on animals and zoos are integrated into the story; it's an interesting technique, used more and to better effect than I have seen elsewhere.

The book club for grade 4 next meets on Friday, December 16. The club's selection is The Secret Zoo, by Bryan Chick, which is next on my reading agenda. Copies should soon be available at the Manhattan Beach branch of the County of Los Angeles public library. Sorry for the delay in their receipt, which seems to have been caused by the Thanksgiving holiday.

It's hard to believe we're coming up to Thanksgiving, after which comes the roller coaster of winter holidays, and the end of another year. This week all classes will be hearing books about Thanksgiving, the opportunity America has long afforded for newcomers to this country to build a better life, and thankfulness.

Congratulations to Pennekamp student Arya Samimi, second-place winner in the County of Los Angeles public library bookmark contest! Arya and other winners will be honored before the Manhattan Beach City Council, and his winning bookmark will be distributed at public libraries in the coming year. Good job, Arya!

The book club for 4th-grade students meets this Friday, November 18, at lunch recess. Club members should eat lunch first and wear their "READ" wristbands. We will discuss and rate The Lightning Thief and choose a new reading selection for the coming month. All members and interested students are welcome (even those who didn't finish the book!). 

The book club for 5th-grade students is reading Belly Up, by Stuart Gibbs. The club meets again on December 9. I will have a half-dozen copies for students to purchase by Monday afternoon. Thanks to Pages: A Bookstore for obtaining and discounting copies for our club members.

Scholastic orders are due this Friday, November 17. Points generated through Scholastic orders allow the library to acquire many high-interest titles at no cost. Thank you for ordering from Scholastic!

If you would like to see some of the book's recently added to the library's collection, please visit the New Books page of this website.

The week after the Thanksgiving break, our book fair takes place! Students will visit the book fair that week instead of library (except for DK students, who still visit the library). That week is also teacher conference week, so students will be on a minimum day schedule. The library will be open regular hours, but please note: students cannot wait in the library while parents attend conferences unless they are supervised by an adult. Parents may wish to partner with other parents to watch each other's children; and with adult supervision, students are certainly welcome to visit the library until 3:00 p.m. during teacher conference week.

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This Friday is Veteran's Day, a day to recognize the men and women who have served in America's armed forces. Students in grades 1 through 5 will be hearing books related to military service and will have a chance to discuss their respect for those who protect our country.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I will be reading books about the many cultures in the American "melting pot." This week the kindergarten classes will hear Tiny Tortilla, by Arlene Williams; and next week most classes will hear stories of immigration to America. Another good thing about Thanksgiving is the food, so DK will be hearing books about eating!

There are a lot of activities going on in the library these days. The 5th-grade book club had a lot of fun last Friday. The last book, A Tale Dark and Grimm, received a very high rating: 4.475 stars out of 5 among voting club members! The club's new selection is Belly Up, by Stuart Gibbs. The 4th-grade book club meets next Friday, November 18. Scholastic book orders were distributed last week; and new flyers go home this week, with orders due November 17. Through the Scholastic program the libary has acquired many new books. They still need to be cataloged and processed, but they should be on the shelves pretty soon.

Scholastic orders were distributed Monday, so I hope everyone is enjoying all their new books. Another batch of Scholastic flyers will be distributed next Tuesday, November 8. Several people have remarked (quite rightly) on the environmental impact of all those paper flyers. I will revisit the question of going to online ordering, but the last time I spoke to Scholastic about it, it seemed their online system was not suited to our school: in many schools, orders are placed per classroom, while at Pennekamp, the library handles orders for all students. Anyway, I too am bothered by all the paper, so I'll have another talk with Scholastic about it.

The book club for 5th-grade students meets this Friday. We will discuss and rate A Tale Dark and Grimm and choose our next reading selection for the coming month. New members are welcome!

The book club for 4th-grade students meets again on November 18. I realize that The Lightning Thief may have turned out to be a pretty challenging and long book, so club members--just do the best you can with it. At least it's a pretty exciting book! Next month we will make a point of choosing something shorter. 

This week is the Toy and Clothing Drive. With so many families affected by economic struggles, it's worth taking an honest look at our clothes and toys to see if there's anything we really aren't using--something that could be donated that might make a big difference to a needy girl or boy or family. Clothing, toys, and generosity are the themes for the books I am reading this week to DK, K, 1st, 3rd, and 4th. Grade 2 is hearing 13 Words, by Lemony Snicket, and we are talking about the power and pleasure of having a vast array of words at our command. Grade 5 will be hearing I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket, by Ed Young, and discussing how respect and responsibility (the current "Pennekamp PRIDE" traits) relate to the story. 

We have a short week this week. Thursday is a no-school day (happy Rosh Hashanah!), and Friday is a work day for MBUSD staff but not a school day for students. If you are looking for a good picture book related to Rosh Hashanah, recommended is New Year at the Pier, by April Halprin Wayland, a local author who was last year's Author's Week guest.

Scholastic book club flyers will go home in this week's Tuesday envelopes. Please return your orders to the library or school office by October 13; your merchandise will be distributed on or before October 31. Thanks go to the unbelievably great library volunteers who prepared the flyers!

Coming up are the book clubs for students in grades 4 and 5. This year each grade will have its own club meeting, and meetings will be (roughly) once a month at lunch. Club members will receive a membership wristband for joining. Grade 5 meets the first time on October 7, and the meeting day will be the first Friday of each month; grade 4 meets the first time on October 14, with the ongoing meeting day being the second Friday of each month. (Some adjustments may be necessary to accommodate school vacations.) At our first meetings we will choose our first reading selection and make plans for future meetings.

This is Banned Books Week. To learn more about it and our First Amendment freedoms, visit the American Library Association's "Banned Books Week" page.

On display in the library this week and next will be books recently added to the library's collection, the vast majority of which were purchased with PTA funds. Thank you, PTA, for our beautiful new books!

Classes will visit the library as usual on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. 5th-grade classes usually come on Thursday and Friday, so they will not be visiting the library this week. Themes this week are as follows: DK--friendship; K--apples; 1st--seasons; 2nd--bees & pollination; 3rd--national symbols; 4th--Caesar Chavez, in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15).  To see specific titles, take a look at this week's Weely Readalouds post.