Thursday, December 17, 2015

NCCBA & informational picture books

On Wednesday, Sky class students cast their votes for their favorite North Carolina Children's Book Award picture book nominee!

Sky class teachers read the ten nominees during story time and students looked at the books independently during library checkout and lunch recess. After carefully considering the ten nominees, Sky students each voted for the one book that stood out as their favorite. 

The classroom was transformed into a polling place, complete with voting booths, ballots, a ballot box, and "I Voted!" stickers. For an extra treat, we celebrated with some kettle corn. :) 

With 15 votes, the winning book in Sky class is... Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate, a nonfiction picture book companion to her Newbery Award-winning novel The One and Only Ivan. 

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I found it interesting that 21 students chose nonfiction picture books as their favorites, and in talking with students about the nominees, some commented that they liked that these books were "real" and "about history." That's all this librarian needs to bring out some nonfiction picture book recommendations! 

Currently on our NEW BOOKS shelves in the library, check out some of these informational picture books!


The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams    Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965    Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx/La juez que crecio en el BronxWangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees    21942920
Ben Franklin's Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of His First Invention    14955390    9642662
17245740    20518974    17320985
25261696    The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse    15710450



Happy reading!


Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Book lists galore

If you're scurrying to buy some last-minute holiday gifts, are shopping for winter birthdays, or just love children's books, here are some book lists to inspire your purchases and future reading.
There's something for everyone here!


From Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill - 


From The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - 
I know I'm biased, but this is my favorite resource for the best books of the year!


Best Books 2015
From School Library Journal -
including books, apps, and more


Horn Book Fanfare
From Horn Book Magazine -
Best Books of 2015




From Kirkus -
Best Picture Books of 2015
Best Middle Grade Books of 2015


From The New York Times Sunday Book Review -
Notable Children's Books of 2015


Image result for npr books logo
From NPR Books -
Best Kids' Books of 2015



From Publishers Weekly -
Best Books of 2015 - Picture Books
Best Books of 2015 - Middle Grade



Parents' Choice Awards
From Parents' Choice -
Fall 2015 Award Winners - Books



For intentionally diverse selections, check out... 


From School Library Journal - The Diversity List


From The Center for Multicultural Children's Literature -



From Lee & Low Books -
Holiday Gift Recommendations - 18 Children's Books for Every Kid on Your List




Happy reading,



Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Library organization game

With requests from several River class students, I am sharing the "Order in the Library" game that we started playing today.

The game was created by students and staff at the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin. It teaches students about how libraries are organized, how to sort books, and how to shelve books by call number. For book lovers and math lovers alike!


The game requires Flash, so it's best played on a computer. Give it a try!

Happy organizing, 


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