All the Lovely Bad Ones and Some Good Ones too! #IMWAYR October 28, 2013

I I delivered a lot of creepy, scary book talks this week as we explored HORROR Fiction as a genre. Mary Downing Hahn was right at the top of the list along with Goose Bumps, Scary Stories, and the book in greatest demand in the ECDC Library. The Big Book of Texas Ghost Stories. 

I couldn't keep up with students wanting Halloween themed and really scary books. Just as soon as I book talked a title and set up a display, I had to go seeking new books to refill the empty displays. 

Cowboy Clifford shared his favorite Halloween reads
and talked to kids about dressing up for the school Literature Parade. 

Integrating math into a Halloween lesson is always easy when you have books like 16 Runaway Pumpkins (theme doubles). It makes for a fun lesson and count aloud. 

The Runaway Pumpkin was a good pairing. 

Double rainbow was gorgeous. 

These were some nice things that happened to me this past week. The Caller Times did a spread on Coastal Bend Book Fairs and my school fair was the focus. My students had their big moment of fame being quoted and featured. I was very pleased with how well they represented their school.

My Favorite Book of the Week:

The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is a book thief in town snatching all the bedtime books just as families are settling in for their nightly reads. Who would do such a dastardly deed? One brave little bunny sets out to solve the mystery and return the books back to their rightful owners.

The Snatchabook is my  new favorite read aloud book. You just know when something magic appears in your hands in the  form of a children's book. My head is spinning with ideas to use along with this precious story that reminds me a bit of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Snatchabook would be a great read aloud choice for a Family Reading Night event.

The Cow in Patrick O'Shanahan's Kitchen by Diana Prichard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Patrick O'Shanahan walks in to breakfast one morning and is surprised to find a cow standing there. When Patrick's father arrives and decides to make French toast without noticing the cow, Patrick decides to help his dad by getting the best in farm fresh products that have appeared in his kitchen in the form of farm animals.

YA Books

Crash by Lisa McMann

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Crash is a forbidden love story in the vein of Romeo and Juliet. Jules' family lives above their restaurant as do their rivals the Angotti's. Jules has been in love with Sawyer Angotti for years but for the  past several years, he has been shunning her and she doesn't understand why unless it's all about the family rivalry. Jules now has bigger problems than unrequited love, she is seeing horrific visions of a snowplow crashing into a building that leaves nine dead bodies in the snow and one of those belongs to Sawyer. Everywhere Jules looks, she sees the visions of the crash on billboards, windows, TV and computer screens, and now they are coming faster and more frequent. Can Jules unravel the clues hidden in the visions and save Sawyer or is he doomed to die? What if the visions are not real and she is going insane? What's a girl in love to do?
View all my reviews

This past week, I fell victim to a book spoiler when I became curious about a Twitter game #fictionaldeathsIwillnevergetover. 

I am going to share this with  my fellow librarians at our next PD session. Just slap a bit of butcher paper up (oh, in the shape of a tombstone) and see what everyone comes up with. This topic will make for a good book chat for our university students too. For me, the hardest death to bear was when Beth, the kindest, sweetest, dearest of the March sisters passed away. It still breaks my heart to this day. I threw Harry Potter books across the room at the deaths of Dumbledore, Sirius Black, and Fred Weasley (NO! not a twin. I have twins. How can they live without each other?) That poor Harry Potter couldn't ever catch a break. I felt so depressed after reading about their deaths. 

Currently Reading: 

Dozens of Picture Books in preparation for writing daily blog posts for Picture Book Month as a Picture Book Blogger and to prepare for #virtualbookclub's Mock Caldecott chat in November. 

Picture Book Month information

The List by Siobhan Vivian
It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.




Next up:

I am really looking forward to reading the conclusion of this series.











So, what are you reading?

Looking for an electrifying thriller!

Getting in the spirit of Halloween with Great Books for Kids

Victor Godwin's orderly life is upended when he discovers that Benjamin Franklin never actually died–he was put in suspended animation and hidden away for more than 200 years in Victor's basement!

After an accident awakens Ben, Victor must not only help him adjust to the modern world but also help him overcome a slight flaw–when Ben runs low on energy, he turns into a rampaging monster desperately hungry for electricity. All this, while Victor tries to take first place in the school science fair. With one of history's preeminent scientists helping out, what could possibly go wrong? (source: Matthew McElligott)

Read Chapter 1 and 2: Benjamin Franklinstein Lives!

There are three titles in this series. I wonder if there will be any more?

The REAL Benjamin Franklin


Ben Franklin Fun Facts:
Benjamin Franklin is the only founding father in the Swimming Hall of Fame. 
as a youth, he didn't have much extra money. Franklin decided to become a vegetarian. He believed that eating a vegetarian diet was healthier than a diet filled with meat. In addition, meat was much more expensive, so by becoming a vegetarian, Franklin could save money to spend on books.

Benjamin Franklin loved to read, but he when he was young, he was very poor and could not afford books. What did he do? He gave up meat which was expensive and became a vegetarian. By saving money, Ben was able to save money to purchase books. He also felt it was a much healthier lifestyle.

The Quotable Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a gifted speaker. In fact, he LOVED to talk and talk and talk. He was so good saying things that people began to "quote" him. This means they repeated what he said because they felt his words were important and had meaning for their lives. Plus, B.F, was a pretty funny guy.
Here are websites with some of Benjamin Franklin's best quotes:

The Electric Ben Franklin 

Notable Quotes

Brainy Quotes-Benjamin Franklin

The Quotations Page-Benjamin Franklin

Social Studies for Kids-Franklin Quotes



What is a Pen Name?

Create a Pen Name.pdf

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A pen name is a fictitious, or made up name, that an author uses when writing. Many authors use pen names for many different reasons.

Ben Franklin was a writer. In fact, he wrote several articles and letter to the editor of his newspaper using made up names, or a pen name. Why? He knew the importance of getting people to talk about important topics just like people use Twitter today. In fact, Ben would have made a great Tweeter.

He also drew cartoons like the snake cut into pieces that represent the American Colonies. He encouraged them to join together to become an independent country away from English rule.

Other words that have the same meaning as the term "pen name "are: Nom de plume, Nom de guerre, alias, moniker or pseudonym.

Set up a science demonstration in the Library Science Center. This will count for a Bluebonnet Project.

1. Your project must include the following:
2. A title name for your science demo. Ex: Crack the Code (a demonstration using invisible ink to send spy messages).
3. Your name and grade level (Be proud, shout it out)
4. Clearly explain what you are demonstrating. Make sure to clearly label the parts used in the demonstration.
5. Your observations and comments.
6. Sources: Where did you get your idea from and how did you research the information.

Ms. Murphy will help you with all these details.

Create a Jux book, video, or Wordle based on an inventor that interests you. This will count for a Bluebonnet Project.


Experimental Fun with Franklin

• The Bottle Pipes
• The Lemon Battery
• Letterpress Stamps
• The Thermometer
• 
  

Games

• Play Checkers with Ben Franklin
• Ben Franklin slider game
• Word Search: Ben Franklin the printer
• Word Search: Ben Franklin the Public Servant
• Word Search: Ben Franklin the Scientist / Inventor
• Word Search: Friends of Franklin

Getting in the Spirit of Halloween with Great Books For Kids

Come to the Graveyard for a Thrilling Read

It takes a graveyard to raise a child

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other. (source: publisher)

Watch The Graveyard Book book trailer



Hear Neil Gaiman read from The Graveyard Book
Be warned-it may scare you!

The Graveyard book is a wonderfully scary book that kids and grownups will both enjoy. Try checking out the audio version from your library for some extra fun bits like dancing to the Macabre "la la la boom!"

This tale begins with a grisly murder of an entire family-save one. A little toddler steps out of his diaper and wonders from the scene of the crime and into a graveyard before the killer has the opportunity to finish his job. The inhabitants of the graveyard are faced with a difficult decision as to what will become of the young child and they decide to raise him as one of their own. But Nobody Owens, known affectionately as Bod, is still not safe with a killer still out to find and kill Bod.

Getting in the Spirit of Halloween with Great Books for Kids

Jitterbug Jam

A Monster Tale

by Barbara Jean Hicks

Illustrated by Alexis Deacon

Listen to Jitterbug Jam read aloud by author, Barbara Jean Hicks.

Author's website: Barbara Jean Hicks

Literacy themes: Friendship, Overcoming fears, Courage, Family Relationships

Have you ever been afraid of what lurks beneath your bed? Bobo is a little monster who is convinced a boy is hiding under his bed- a boy with “pink skin and orange fur on his head where his horns should be.” Bobo doesn’t want to be a “fraidy-cat” but nobody will believe him until his loving, yet scary looking grandpa big Boo-Dad comes for a visit. Boo-Dad listens to Bobo and shares a story explaining what to do to scare a boy away. Does Bobo have the courage to face his fear? Read this monstrous tale for a fun bed-time thriller.