This week we begin reading aloud the nominees for the California Young Reader Medal. This is an annual tradition at all elementary schools in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. Students in DK/TK, K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades will hear five picture books, while students in grades 4 and 5 will hear three longer picture books. In addition, any student in grades 3, 4, or 5 may read the three novels nominated in the "Intermediate" category and cast a vote for his or her favorite. (Thanks go out to Linda Hunt, 3rd-grade teacher, who reads aloud the three novels to her class, allowing her students to vote on this category.) For more information and past winners, see the statistics for our school and the website of the California Young Reader Medal.
The new selection for the 5th-grade book club is Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin, which is one of the three nominees in the "Intermediate" category for the California Young Reader Medal. The club will meet Friday, February 1. Please note, the book club has adopted a more structured format to address the needs of students desiring a more focused, less rowdy atmosphere. If that idea appeals to you (or, more to the point, to your student), please give the next book club meeting a try. New members are always welcome.
The shelves devoted to adult fiction have been repurposed, and the adult fiction books are now available to any parents, teachers, or staff who would like them. A donation of 50 cents per copy would be gratefully accepted.