I'm excited to be reading some books I have not read aloud before. Third grade will hear A Parakeet Named Dreidel, by famed author Isaac Bashevis Singer. Fourth grade will be hearing A Boy Called Dickens, by author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator John Hendrix (the team we can thank for Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, one of my favorite readalouds ever). Five of the poems in Winter Bees will be heard by fifth grade. Winter Bees is another genius book from Joyce Sidman that combines factual information about nature with really delightful poetry. Images of these great books are below.
I'm so pleased that the past week has gone well for Pennekamp's food drive to benefit the L.A. Regional Food Bank. A lot more food was donated last week, pretty certainly putting us above our 500-pound goal. The last day to donate is this Thursday, December 14. Collection bins are in the library and the school office. Thank you to all the generous families who have donated, and let's finish strong!
Consent forms are due by Friday, December 15, for the Pennekamp library's book club for 5th-grade students. Book club is a fun, non-curricular activity for students who like to read and talk about books. Parents of book club members commit to getting the monthly book selection for their son or daughter; often the public library can put copies on reserve for us, but sometimes the best way to get a book is to buy it, so I do want families to be aware of this aspect of the club. The first meeting will be Monday, December 18, in the library at lunch recess.