This week we get back to our regular schedule--for a couple of weeks, anyway, until the winter holiday. The theme for the readalouds is snow. Grades 2 and 3 are hearing nonfiction books related to the topic, and we will review the use of the catalog by finding their readalouds in the catalog. Katy and the Big Snow is a fiction book, but it offers a chance to practice numerical concepts (such as how long ago was the book first published, how many inches are in a foot, how many feet does it snow, and how to count to 55 horsepower by 5s). Grade 4 will be hearing Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, an example of a fairy tale. Fairy tales are sure popular in the mainstream media these days--Grimm and Once Upon a Time on television, Into the Woods on stage and as a movie, in children's books such as A Tale Dark and Grimm and Rump (which I am currently reading), among many other possible examples. We will talk briefly about the Grimm Brothers and identify the components that make up the story (character, setting, conflict, resolution, theme). Other specific readalouds can be seen on the Weekly Readalouds page of this site. Exceptions to the theme are TK (weather); and grade 5, looking at the wordless picture book Unspoken, in support of the book report assignment on picture books.
The 5th-grade book club will begin in December and continue until May 2015. Book club is an optional activity for students who enjoy reading and talking about books. Every month we read a book chosen by the students and meet during one lunch period to discuss the book. An enrollment form will be sent home in the Tuesday envelope. Enrollment is capped at the first 20 students who return the form, so 1) enrollment forms should be returned promptly, and 2) only those students who genuinely intend to participate should sign up. Club members are strongly encouraged to read the month’s selected book, but all members are welcome to attend every meeting (including members who didn’t quite finish the selected book). Book club members are required to obtain their own copy of each month's selected book. Usually the Manhattan Beach public library sets aside multiple copies for our use, and I generally purchase copies for students who then reimburse me for my cost. (Thanks to Pages, our local independent bookstore, for offering an “educator’s discount” on the books I buy for the club.)
Speaking of Pages, John Flanagan, author of the Ranger’s Apprentice series, will be appearing at Pages on December 12 at 7 p.m. The price of admission is to purchase a book from Pages. RSVP by calling 310-318-0900 or emailing info@pagesabookstore.com
Calling all Lego lovers: did you know you can receive the Lego Club magazine for free? Just sign up on Lego's website (which probably enrolls you in a mailing list for all its catalogs and so forth). The Lego Club magazines are pretty hot items in our library, and I'm happy to see them circulate so well here; but just so you know, your child can receive these at home and keep his or her own copies, without ever having to give them back to the library!
Last but not least, if you are shopping on Amazon, please click through from this website to Amazon. Any purchases made after clicking through earn money for our PTA, at no extra cost to the shopper. The graphic is right up there, on the right. See it? Great :-)
The 5th-grade book club will begin in December and continue until May 2015. Book club is an optional activity for students who enjoy reading and talking about books. Every month we read a book chosen by the students and meet during one lunch period to discuss the book. An enrollment form will be sent home in the Tuesday envelope. Enrollment is capped at the first 20 students who return the form, so 1) enrollment forms should be returned promptly, and 2) only those students who genuinely intend to participate should sign up. Club members are strongly encouraged to read the month’s selected book, but all members are welcome to attend every meeting (including members who didn’t quite finish the selected book). Book club members are required to obtain their own copy of each month's selected book. Usually the Manhattan Beach public library sets aside multiple copies for our use, and I generally purchase copies for students who then reimburse me for my cost. (Thanks to Pages, our local independent bookstore, for offering an “educator’s discount” on the books I buy for the club.)
Speaking of Pages, John Flanagan, author of the Ranger’s Apprentice series, will be appearing at Pages on December 12 at 7 p.m. The price of admission is to purchase a book from Pages. RSVP by calling 310-318-0900 or emailing info@pagesabookstore.com
Calling all Lego lovers: did you know you can receive the Lego Club magazine for free? Just sign up on Lego's website (which probably enrolls you in a mailing list for all its catalogs and so forth). The Lego Club magazines are pretty hot items in our library, and I'm happy to see them circulate so well here; but just so you know, your child can receive these at home and keep his or her own copies, without ever having to give them back to the library!
Last but not least, if you are shopping on Amazon, please click through from this website to Amazon. Any purchases made after clicking through earn money for our PTA, at no extra cost to the shopper. The graphic is right up there, on the right. See it? Great :-)
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