Ms. Nancy's Library & Technology Blog

One of my favorite mail carriers in the neighborhood, a retired military man, is involved with the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization. They hold an annual writing contest and he asked me to pass this information along to the students.

The contest is open to 6th, 7th & 8th grade students. Grand prize is a $10,000 savings bond. This year’s theme is “When Is the Right Time to Honor Our Military Heroes?” The deadline is Nov. 1, 2009.

Last year’s winning essay was on the topic of “Why America’s Veterans Should Be Honored.”

To enter the competition, write a 300-400 word essay expressing an interpretation of this year’s assigned patriotic theme. Please contact me if you have any questions, and to find out where the essays can be mailed.

Now get to writing.

Best,

Ms. Nancy

“To be a mountain you have to climb alone

— “Silver Star,” by William Stafford

Dear students and teachers,

Let’s not do the full Oregon Battle of the Books this year, with buzzers and bells and a full-on competition. I’d like to keep it simple. I was thinking… how about for those students (and staff) who are interested, we read as many of the books from the lists as we can?

I can come up with some prizes for those of us who participate…

What do you think? We could have some fun with it, and possibly enter the competition next year? Please advise.

These are some of the titles from the lists that you can find in our library (the rest, of course, can be found at the Multnomah County Library or purchased):

Beauty, by Bill Wallace
The BFG, by Roald Dahl
Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan
Honus and Me, by Dan Gutman
Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart
Socks, by Beverly Cleary
The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis
Schooled, by Gordon Korman
The Wild Girls, by Pat Murphy
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
A Long Way Gone, by Ismael Beah

Happy reading!

— Ms. Nancy

In October, we like to celebrate scary stuff in our library for three weeks out of four. I tell the students that it is the only time I encourage them to read “junk food” books — Animorphs, Twilight, Scooby Doo, and anything and everything to do with scary plots, ghosts, haunted houses, etc., etc.

I also put out lots of mysteries and classics — Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, some Robert Louis Stevenson, and, my new favorite, author Mary Downing Hahn. Did you know that she was a children’s librarian who started writing ghost stories? Did you know that Shelley was only 18 when she started writing Frankenstein? (It was published when she was 21.) We’re also fond of the new graphic novels based on Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone. (Walking Distance, the Monsters are Due on Maple Street and the Odyssey of Flight 33.)

There are lots of cool and interesting stories out there, and lots of fun ways to get scared.

Except for Goosebumps. Goosebumps, to me, is no fun. It is just a little quirk of mine, but we have no Goosebumps books in our library. Our collection was very tattered and old — “Because the books are soooo good!” the students would like me to tell you. Yes, because the books were so popular. Not good, in my extremely humble opinion, but popular.

Those are the books that get tattered the most quickly — the popular ones.

But we have a limited book budget, and a lot of “good” books that need replacing and, er, besides. We have Animorphs! A-Z Mysteries! The Baby-sitter’s Club! That series is terrifying, with all those smiley girls and their zeal for takin’ care of business. (Kidding. Only I am scared of the Babysitters’ Club.) (Really, my main concern is the misplaced possessive. Shouldn’t it be babysitters’ club, and forget the hypen? I digress.)

I stamped all the Goosebumps books “DISCARD” in dark black ink, sent them home with the kids and haven’t looked back since.

The students still haven’t forgiven me. I read them the Teeny-Tiny Woman to make it up to them, but still…

Moving on… If you are concerned that the books we’re focusing on are too scary, please do not worry. I also put out loads of books on pumpkins, leaves and fall, plus a selection of other fiction and non-fiction titles, for those of us who aren’t so into skeletons and all-around creepiness. Some of our favorites are Pumpkin, Pumpkin; We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt; and My Guinea Pig and Me.

Yes, I realize that guinea pigs don’t have anything to do with Halloween, fall, or mysteries; we just are particularly fixated on guinea pigs right now.

Happy October to you!

Best,

Ms. Nancy

Here is a fun way to learn about Greek Mythology. This one was sent along from our friends at the International Reading Association.

Enjoy!

— Ms. Nancy

“Hello, hello. Are you there?
Hello! I called you up to say hello.
I said Hello.
Can you hear me, Joe?
Oh no, I cannot hear your call.
I cannot hear your call at all.
This is not good, and I know why.
A mouse has cut the wire, goodbye!”

— “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”
Dr. Seuss

“The world is dark, and light is precious.
Come closer, dear reader.
You must trust me.
I am telling you a story.”

Download audio or listen here:

“American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV.”
— The Kaiser Family Foundation

Seven to ten years. I have a 7-year-old at my house and a 10-year-old, coincidentally. So that statistic really hits home for me. A few parents every week ask me, “How do I get my kid to read?” This is sometimes followed by, She hates reading, or he doesn’t seem to find anything that interests him or “I am tired of fighting about this one.” Parents sometimes confide in me that they find children’s books “boring.”

Well. If the book is boring you, it might be boring your child, too. So lively things up. My own kids are rebellious, and perhaps since their mother is a bibliophile they do not always want to take my suggestions. Therefore I have one child who adores dinosaur encylopedias and anything disgusting about snakes, worms, bugs and reptiles, and one who loves creepy books that I steer clear of.

We’ve found a compromise in Harry Potter, which we all three love. Jim Dale’s recordings of the books are fantastic — his voices are just right. They’ve read the books, watched the movies and are now “listening” their way through the series.

I suggest the usual: find books that are at their level and, if they’re already reading, encourage them to read aloud to you. Encourage them to find a quiet corner and read to themselves. Find books that are too hard for them to read alone and read aloud together. Find books that are too easy for them and encourage them to read to their younger siblings, the dog, the cat, the neighbor kids… whoever you can find.

The littlest readers love the classics, “Where the Wild Things Are,” Robert McCloskey’s “Make Way for Ducklings” and “Blueberries for Sal,” any and all Dr. Seuss, Clifford, and the David series and the pirate books by David Shannon. Ian Falconer, who writes the Olivia series, is one of the most popular authors in my library. Once they’re a little bigger, they like Beverly Cleary, the Magic Tree House and the Magic School Bus series, easy reader non-fiction (anything about animals, especially big scary ones and little, cute, cuddly ones). Older students love Melissa Lion, Blake Nelson, Sherman Alexie, Mark Twain, Judy Blume — pretty much any book that hints of controversy.

I can say this on the Internet, but I find it difficult to say face-to-face: Kill your television. Log off the computer. Say buh-bye to Facebook. Hang up the telephone. Celebrate TV Turn-Off Week. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that I’m blogging and podcasting this? OK, turn it off.

To put it another way: “What they see is what they’ll be.”

So… read. Read your own books, read magazines, read newspapers, read aloud to your friends and family, read and your kids will probably read, too.

Probably. There are no guarantees in life, people. I do not give this advice because I am better than you, oh no. I give this advice because I am much worse than you. I love television, movies and Facebook, and they consume too much of my time, and my family’s. But we can always try harder, yes? Yes.

Happy reading to you!

SOME ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (from the friendly folks at TV Turn-off Week).

1. Volunteer in a school to teach reading, math, computer skills.
2. Learn to play the guitar or other musical instrument.
3. Attend community concerts.
4. Organize a community clean-up.
5. Put together a puzzle.
6. Visit the library. Borrow a book. Attend library activities.
7. Go ice skating or roller skating.
8. Listen to the radio.
9. Visit the zoo.
10. Paint a picture, a mural or a room.

Best,

Ms. Nancy

The poet Naomi Shihab Nye once asked a class of students, “What have you lost?” and told them to write. That’s what I like to call: “Hit it and quit it.” Today I asked the 8th grade students (and their teachers) at my school the same question. Here is what they came up with. Hope you are as moved by it as I was.

Ms. Nancy

Stuff:
I lost my Hat, I lost my shoes, I lost
my cellphone, I lost my charger, I lost my
sock, lost my shirt, lost my shirt, lost
my pants, lost my moms keys, I lost my
house.

Gained:
I lost things and I’ve gained things
I gained strength to do better.
I gained new friends, I gained a new house
Finely in the end everything has a reason.

I have lost………………………………………………………………….
My interest in scooterin
My old house.
My XBOX controller
My shirt
My Hoodies
My billiards game
My GOW2 Match
My friend Frank
My Gears of War 2 game
My Halo 3
I LOST THE MEANING OF LIFE
I lost my money
I lost interest in writing this list:
I LOST MY DREAM OF BEING A POET.
A LONG TIME AGO.
I LOST MY HEART

I don’t keep track of what I lose lost
wait) I Lost my mind

1) Ipod Touch
2) first phone
3) second phone
4) milkshake
5)

I lost my desire to draw on myself.
I lost my favorite teddy bear.

What have I Lost!! non-fiction
* I have lost Love!
* I have lost pain!
* I have lost family.
* I have lost my mom!
* I have lost my feelings
* I have lost my heart
* I have lost my soul I think! (JK)
Fiction

I have lost some books, toys, socks, friends, and pencil, and: words.

WHAT HAVE YOU LOST
I have lost socks
I have lost my ipod
I have lost my phones
I have lost friends
I have lost homes
I have lost books
I have lost memories
I have lost pencils
I have lost markers
I have “lost” clothes
I have lost hair
I have lost almost everything
I have lost my old life.

WHAT HAVE I LOST?
* My Grandpa
* Trust
* Friends
* Home

I’ve lost the meaning
to life.
(but then I found it
in a pillow)

I lost a book so
I’ll pay you back the
money.

I have lost books
I have lost things that
are important to me
I’ve lost nothing important
But I’ve…

I have lost my 1 year old kitten when I was
7 years old & I buried him in our back
yard. Instead of giveing him to the pet
clinic.

I lost my 1st bike
I lost my 2nd bike
I lost my 3rd bike
I lost my 4th bike
I lost my first phone
I lost my pinkie toe nail
I lost all my baby teeth

I lost my first house key
I lost my second house key
I lost my third house key
I lost my sesame street book
I lost my shoes at the beach
I lost my parts of my arm muscle
I lost my toe nail once
I lost my all my baby teeth

I lost my dog
I lost my games
I lost my money
I lost my bord
I lost my cat
I lost my car

Today in class I lost my sciene
notebook. I took me the end of the
class to find it. It was under (my friend’s)
folder.

What I’ve Lost.
I’ve lost my 2 most precious
dogs in my life. They were very
sweet and kind to me. Lena smacked
me on the head with her tail
a lot. Tonka was just the best,
nicest, sweetest do in the world.

What I Have Lost — pincils, pens, a pen, video games,
books, memorys, free time, pictures, animals, a crystal,
presents, homework, clothes and the ability to think of poems
quickly.

What have you lost?
1. My favorite pair of
earrings
2. I’ve lost my temper and I broke
the phone
3. I lost my grandfather that had cancer
4. I’ve lost some of my happiness because
I’m sick.
5. I lost one of my grandmothers 2 days before
I was born.

I Lost
I lost my abillity to see
I lost my Power Ranger
I lost my movies
I lost my video games
I lost my internet
I lost my food
I lost my win to schemes
I lost my Xbox Live

My one and only….
Xbox Live

I lost my money before in my room and it
sucked because I needed the money to buy a game.

I lost my money once
I look for it and I couldn’t
find it.
I looked everywhere.

I have lost $20 in a bet.
I lost my shoe in Fred Meyer.
I lost the TV remote control.
I lost a book in 3rd grade and
still haven’t found it.
I lost my shyness.
I lost my temper.
I forgot my name for
A day.

I lost my money.
I lost my breath.

Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
Banana
BANANA

I lost my phone once.
I lost my dvd player.
The first time I checked out a book I lost it.

I’ve lost my shoes and money.

I lost my mind
I lost my cuzins (rest in peace)
I lost a shirt
I lost a shoes
I lost myself
I lost weight.

I have losed my
earring. I was
very sad.
I have lost my shoe
but I found it.
I have lost my ring and
it was so cute but now
its gone.

I have lost my shoe!
I have lost my ring!
I have lost my earings!
I have lost my book!
I have lost my school bag!
I have lost my macup!
I have lost my mom!
I have lost my I-Pod!
I have lost my sock!
I have lost my necklace!
I have lost my sister!
I have lost my shoe!

I lost my backpake on the MAX.
I lost my shoes in my
house.
I lost my game.

My sanity
My mind (echo echo echo echo)
My heart
Weight 8 lbs lost woo hoo!!
Sence of awareness
My madness

I lost my money
I lost my hiar
I lost my Grandad
I lost nothing else.

What Have I Lost?
I have lost my most loved blanket
that I used to carry around with me
all the time when I was little

I have lost my abuelita, Rest in
Peace.
I have lost weight.
I lose patience.
I lose control of myself.
I lose my mind.

I’ve lost my shoes befor.
I have lost my 20 bucks.
I have lost my phone befor.

I have lost 10 pounds
and gained them back again.
I have lost an uncle to
cancer
I have lost time worrying
about things that don’t matter
I have lost money paying
for stupid mistakes
I have lost an earring that
a student made for me,
but he made me a replacement
and I haven’t lost that!

I lost my wristwatch this
morning. I know I put it on
my wicker stand where I always
put it yesterday. When I went to
put it on today, it was gone!
I spent a lot of time looking for
it and then I had to go to work.
So I put my good watch on and
now it isn’t keeping the correct
time – I’m lost without my
watch!!

(the end)

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” — Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (1904-1991)