Friday, June 14, 2013

Faculty Summer Reading




I'm really excited about our Faculty Summer Reading this year. We typically read a professional book and discuss it with other faculty. The books selected are always interesting and engaging, but it always feels much like doing homework.

This year we are taking a look at boy's development through literature. Faculty can select one book from a list of 5 to read and discuss with other faculty when school is back in session. (In the interest of full disclosure, the Upper School librarian and I worked to assemble the list, so I may have a bit of bias!) The driving force behind this switch is my school's work with Michael Thompson, a leader in understanding boys and boys' education.

Here's our list:

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
The Round House by Louise Erdich
Wonder by RJ Palacio
This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff

I think I may read them all this year. Summer reading is looking good this year!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Via Rupi di Via 29 Settembre,Ancona,Italy

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Digital Audio Books

Do you know about the Sync (Sync YA literature into your earphones) free (FREE) summer downloads?  I just found out about it from one of the blogs I follow:  A Year of Reading.  This post is complements of Mary Lee, one of the two bloggers who maintain the blog.  They have created one of my favorite blogs.  I get great tips from them, and now you do too!!

Each week, Sync pairs an adult book with a YA book, and it is free (FREE) to download the pair of books for that week.

Check out the pairs they've got lined up for 2013!

How do you get these free (FREE) audiobooks?

1. Download the OverDrive Media Console (computer) or App (portable device).
2. Create a free (FREE) Adobe account.
3. Go to the Sync website.
4. Follow the links and download the books.
5. Listen to the books...whenever! They are waiting there for you in your OverDrive app!
6. Lather, rinse, and repeat every week all summer long! (perhaps you should sign up for email or text alerts to remind you to go back to the site for all the free (FREE) book pairs they are offering)

Monday, June 10, 2013

Weeding


You must weed your mind as you would weed your garden. ~Terri Guillemets

We did a big and thorough weeding job in our library this spring.  It was time to cull those books that are worn out, contain out of date information, or are just sitting on our overcrowded shelves collecting dust.  

Weeding is always something I do with mixed feelings.  I hate to get rid of books.  Once I've read a book, it's become my friend and it's hard for me to toss out my friends.  I do take comfort in the fact that I donate books that are still in good condition and are still viable to Baltimore Reads.  We are lucky to have an organization like this that is so dedicated to literacy in our town.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Kicking Off Summer Reading

Summer is here!  I'm really excited to start reading all the time.  There are so many excellent books out there I can't wait to get started.

I've challenged my rising 4th and 5th graders to read more pages than I do this summer.  It's a formalized competition called the Library King Challenge.  The winner will be crowned King of the Library and reign for a year.  Last year's King was a 4th grader who read 5456 pages in 22 books!!!  He's already warned me that he's working to beat that record. There are several other students who are contenders and are also up for the challenge.  Yay readers!!

The Seattle Public Library launched their summer reading program by setting a new record for the longest book domino chain.  AWESOME!