Library Under Construction....Stay Tuned!

During the Christmas break we will be making some changes in the appearance of our library media center.  I am looking forward to a library where I can teach, challenge and inspire my students in a safe and nuturing environment!  I'll post new pictures soon!  A big thank you to WISD Maintenance Department for helping to make our library AWESOME!! 

Celebrating the Season!

Thanks to these creative 6th graders, the library is looking a little more festive!  They created this Christmas tree out of encyclopedias!  We are now ready for Lattes in the Library this week!

What I am Thankful For....

I am thankful for the Curtis students and families who came to visit me in the library during Chili Cook-Off.  Each person was able to enjoy a book from the library! 

The Book Fair is Coming!! October 24-28th

We will be having our Scholastic Fall Book Fair in the library the week of October 24-28th. Check out our book fair website here http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/curtislibrary  for up to date information about the book fair!  You will also have the option of visiting the online book fair at http://www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs/2914268. 

Volunteers are needed to make this book fair a success.  If you are interested, please call me at 817-598-2838 ext. 4501 or email me at sford@weathefordisd.com. 

Mrs. Zell's & Mrs. Rudd's Classes Come for Their Library Visit

Each Friday, we get together to read a story, pick out new books, and read with a friend.  Some weeks, we have fun using the Smartboard! The students are learning to check out their own books using the scanners and their library card. 

New Bluebonnet Books soon to arrive!

Thanks to our generous Curtis PTA, you will soon have access to more copies of the Bluebonnet nominees!  I am excited and know some of you will be too, especially since there is a waiting list of about ten students for The Shadows!!  I will let you know when they get here! 
Also, I am putting together an order for books you are requesting.  I will consider any book, and then based on reviews and selection criteria, and hopefully can get the book you just can't wait to read!  This includes teachers, so if there is a book you are looking for, just let me know and I will work to get it. 
Don't forget to READ during the holiday weekend!  Right now I am reading a YA book, listening to an audio book when in the car and hoping to enjoy Catching Fire,the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy.  I can't wait to hear about what you are reading!

New Books!

I have so many new books for the library!  As I was getting them ready, I tried to get a feel for each one.  One that I thought would be great was Things That Are Most In the World by Judi Barrett.  It is a great book to teach superlatives and does so in a very creative way!  The author uses words such as "stickiest" and "jumpiest" and gives such imaginative examples that readers will love!  The last page gives readers the opportunity to create their own "______iest" page.  A very fun book! Come check it out!

Back to School With a New Book!

I am beginning my next 2011-2012 Bluebonnet nominee book tonight!  It is from the series The Books of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West and is called The Shadows.  Here is a short video to introduce it:

I'll let you know what I think about it when I finish!  So far I have enjoyed all of the Bluebonnet books I have read, and I know you will be able to find some that you enjoy too!

29 Books Completed!!

I have finished all 29 of the books I needed to read for my class and really enjoyed every one of them!  Luckily I was able to choose which books (among categories) that I was going to read.  One that I really enjoyed was When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.  If you have read A Wrinkle in Time or enjoy a little science fiction mixed in with your story, then you will like this book.  The main character is Miranda who is in 6th grade. As the story begins, she is upset because her long-time friend, Sal, won't have anything to do with her anymore. She meets some unusual characters throughout the book who all play an important role in the story, but you have to wait until the end to figure out their purpose. Miranda keeps finding notes that don't make any sense to her, and she is trying to figure out who is writing them.  In one note she is told that the writer will come and save her friend but she isn't even sure which friend they are talking about. There is time travel involved and a little bit of mystery. I found the book a suspenseful and really couldn't put it down until I finished it!  This book would be best suited for readers in 5th & 6th grades.  Come see me if you are interested in it!

I will be working in the library during the next few weeks to get everything ready for the beginning of school.  I can't wait to see all of you and hear about what you have read this summer!  Keep READING!!!  :)

Reading, Reading, Reading!

During this month I will be reading 29 books for one of my classes.  I am using as many Bluebonnet books as possible, so that I can reach my goal of reading the Bluebonnet nominees before school begins.  Turtle in Paradise turned out to be a great book!  I can't wait for some of you to read it!  It was full of unexpected adventures, and because I had been to Key West before, I could really picture the setting in my mind.  The book was set in the 1930's though, so things have definitely changed!  :)

 I also read Wild Times at the Bed & Biscuit by Joan Carris.  It was a sweet story about pets and a veterinarian that takes care of some "wild" guests.  The animals all go through some adjustments as the visitors heal and try to adapt to their new environment.  This book would be a great read for all of you animal lovers!

Hope you are reading too!  Don't forget to visit the public library this summer!

Library Changes

I have been working in the library to create an environment that fosters collaboration and information gathering!  Because of this, the reading of the Bluebonnet Award nominees has been slow, but I am now on Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm.  The book is about a young girl who is sent to live with her aunt in Key West, Florida.  She has never met her aunt AND her aunt had no idea that she was coming to live there.  I tried to imagine what it must feel like to have to leave your mom, then to not be welcomed where you were sent.  I can't wait to see what happens!  I hope you are reading too!

Happy Reading!

It is the beginning of summer and I am anxious to get through the new Bluebonnet Award nominees in the next week or two.  In addition, I am thinking of ways to transform our library into a 21st century library media center!  If you have any ideas, please share!  In the meantime, make sure you are reading as much as you can.  I can't wait to hear about the books you are reading this summer.  I will share my favorite Bluebonnet books as I read them.  Happy Summer and Happy Reading!  :)