Sock Puppets App and Learning to Listen

Little eLit, a blog I frequent for ideas and inspiration, is devoted to exploring the use of new media in children's services at public libraries. In a February blog entry on Little eLit, librarian Allison Tran shared how she uses the Sock Puppets App at her public library to reinforce behavior guidelines for little ones during storytime.

As many school librarians know, getting students to settle down and focus is an ongoing issue for every grade level. While older students might need a gentle reminder or two, students in Pre-K and Kindergarten need something that really grabs their attention. I heeded Allison's example and used the Sock Puppets App to remind students in these grades to settle down quickly upon entering the library and to be respectful to the librarian (me) and other students.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2-24-2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is weekly challenge begun by Sheila at Book Journey to blog about the books readers enjoy each week.  For some wonderful reading suggestions, please visit Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers, who took Sheila's It's Monday! What are You Reading? challenge and gave it a kid lit twist.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2-17-2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is weekly challenge begun by Sheila at Book Journey to blog about the books readers enjoy each week.  For some wonderful reading suggestions, please visit Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers, who took Sheila's It's Monday! What are You Reading? challenge and gave it a kid lit twist.

As often happens with me, I set out with a reading goal but get distracted by shiny, new discounts on e-books and read those instead of what I intended to read. This was the case over the past week with  two great young adult books,  The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park, which I discuss in the Young Adult Section of this week's post.

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Delacorte Press, May 13, 2014

We Were Liars is the story of a wealthy American family, headed by Harris and Tipper Sinclair. The story is narrated by Cadence ("Cady") Sinclair Eastman, Harris's first grandchild and daughter of Penelope Sinclair. It begins in Cadence's eighth summer at Beechwood, the family's private island in Massachusetts. It is the summer that Cady and her cousins meet Gat. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2-10-2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is weekly challenge begun by Sheila at Book Journey to blog about the books readers enjoy each week.  For some wonderful reading suggestions, please visit Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers, who took Sheila's It's Monday! What are You Reading? challenge and gave it a kid lit twist.

Taking a cue from fellow librarian Julee Murphy (@JuleeMurphy) over at Book Egg, I'm including books I've used for library lessons over the past week. Indeed I think these books should be included in every It's Monday! What are you reading?, even if it's the second, third, or umpteenth time reading the books because these great books are still worthy of reading, and of course, sharing.

My PLN: It's Not Just About Me

Like many school librarians, I publish a monthly library newsletter for teachers. In the newsletter, I share planned library activities for the month, promote digital and print resources, provide a list of books and websites related to subjects and topics teachers will cover in their classrooms during the course of the month, and so on. The purpose of the newsletter, of course, is to reach out to teachers, keep the lines of communication open, and remind them that I am ready to assist them in meeting the needs of our students.

In the past two monthly newsletters, I've added a section about Professional Learning Networks. I've shared the benefits of PLNs through social media as well as tips on how teachers can get started with building their own. I mentioned in the newsletter how PLNs help us develop as educators and provide opportunities to create new experiences and approaches to educating our students.

Book Review: My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz

My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Happy Life is a very sweet story about a young girl named Dani and her day-to-day life. Although Dani has dealt with the loss of her mother, nervousness about starting school, and loneliness after her best friend moves away, Dani still remembers her many happy days.

Innovative Librarianship Nominated for TASL MVP Award 2014

I received the best news via email from the Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL) today. My blog has been nominated for the 2014 TASL MVP (Media and Virtual Presence) Award. This nomination means a lot to me because I know there are so many great blogs created by school librarians out there. It feels nice to be part of a group of supportive and creative school librarians, many whom I learn from every day.

The award winner will be announced in April during the Texas Library Association's annual conference in San Antonio. As a poster session presenter, I will definitely be attending the conference and look forward to finding out who gets to take home the TLA MVP Award!

More information about the TLA conference and the TASL MVP Award is available from TLA.

You might also want to check out Nancy Jo Lambert's (@NancyJoLambert) beautiful Borchardt Library website which won the 2013 TLA MVP Award.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 2-3-2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is weekly challenge begun by Sheila at Book Journey to blog about the books readers enjoy each week.  For some wonderful reading suggestions, please visit Teacher Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers, who took Sheila's It's Monday! What are You Reading? challenge and gave it a kid lit twist.