Destiny Interface

 When your students use the library catalog, which interface do they use the most-----Classic Destiny or Destiny Quest?

Joseph's Birthday

Joseph emailed me yesterday and said that he didn't think that I could be persuaded from posting birthday wishes to him today.  So he wanted to request that I use this image for his birthday.  So here it is!  Joseph chose this!

Joseph is very dedicated to teaching good research skills to his students.  He does a great job in helping students see how they will be doing research for their whole lives---in one form or another!  :-)  Happy birthday to Joseph!

Newbery and Caldecott Announced Today

 The Newbery and Caldecott awards were announced today at the ALA Conference in Seattle.

Newbery Winner:   The One and Only Ivan
                                 Written by Katherine Applegate

Newbery Honor:     Splendors and Glooms
                                 Written by Laura Schlitz


Newbery Honor:     Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
                                 Written by Steve Sheinkin

Newbery Honor:     Three Times Lucky
                                 Written by Sheila Turnage

Caldecott Winner:   This Is Not My Hat
                                  Written and illustrated by J.P. Klassen

Caldecott Honor:    Creepy Carrots
                                 Written by Aaron Reynolds
                                 Illustrated by Peter Brown

Caldecott Honor:   Extra Yarn
                                Written by Mac Barnett
                                Illustrated by John Klassen

Caldecott Honor:   Green
                                Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Caldecott Honor:   One Cool Friend
                                Written by Toni Buzzeo
                                Illustrated by David Small

Caldcott Honor:     Sleep Like a Tiger
                                Written by Mary Logue
                                Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Pride and Prejudice

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

Today, January 28th, is the 200th anniversary of the publishing of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  It was published in London on January 28, 1813 by Thomas Egerton Publishers.

“Originally titled First Impressions, Pride and Prejudice  was written between October 1796 and August 1797 when Jane Austen was not yet twenty-one, the same age, in fact, as her fictional heroine Elizabeth Bennet. After an early rejection by the publisher Cadell who had not even read it, Austen's novel was finally bought by Egerton in 1812 for £110. It was published in late January 1813 in a small edition of approximately 1500 copies and sold for 18 shillings in boards. In a letter to her sister Cassandra on 29 January 1813, Austen writes of receiving her copy of the newly publishing novel (her "own darling child"), and while acknowledging its few errors, she expresses her feelings toward its heroine as such: "I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, & how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know." (Source: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/01/pride-and-prejudice-200th-anniversary-covers/60978/)                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                                                                 Are you a Jane Austen fan?  Is Pride and Prejudice a favorite?

And what about the movies?  There have been many movie versions of Pride and Prejudice over the years.  Which is your favorite?  

Jane Austen

Groundhog Facts

As librarians, we are Information Specialists.  

What's a fun fact about groundhogs?

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Have any of you ever actually been to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania where Punxsutawney Phil lives?

Have any of you ever seen a real groundhog?

Where the heck is Punxsutawney?  I wonder where the unusual name comes from.

Is there a real and proper town of Punxsutawney---as in, is there a Punxsutawney High School and a Punxsutawney Public Library and a Punxsutawney WalMart? :-)  Or is it a few buildings out in the middle of nowhere that only exists for the benefit of groundhogs and weather forecasters?

Groundhog's Day

Sometimes I forget the details of how Groundhog's Day works when the groundhog is rudely awakened and forced to come out in the cold.

When the groundhog comes out, if the weather is bright and the sun is shining, then the groundhog will see his shadow---and that will alarm him---and so he'll go back into his burrow---and it means that winter will continue for 6 more weeks.

If the weather is overcast and the sky is cloudy, then the groundhog won't see his shadow---and that means that spring will arrive early.

This just kind of doesn't make sense to me!

But, nevertheless,  what is your prediction?  Shadow YES or Shadow NO?

Aren't iPads Just Great?

What was one fun or useful thing that you used your iPad for over the long weekend?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents' Day

 
Are there any kind of special activities or books that you share with students for Martin Luther King Jr. Day or for Presidents' Day?

Woot Woot for our Winners!

The winner of the $50.00 iTunes app card is Tamara!  This prize covers the period of December 19th to January 15th.  She can purchase lots of educational apps for her iPad!

Additional winners of smaller prizes are:

Susette
Pamela
Jean B.
Joseph
Sarah


Thank you all for your comments to our library blog. You are all a bright spot on these cold, wintry days!

Snow Again!

These are pictures from Leslie Lewis's home in Centerville.  She figures that she got about 31 inches of snow!  In my front yard in Farmington, we think we got about 3 feet of snow!  

How much snow fell where you live?

What are your shoveling stories?  

Snow!

We cancelled the afterschool iPad class today because of the mega snow storm that is on its way.  That got me thinking about what it's like when there is lots and lots of snow on the playground, what it's like when students come in from outside recess all cold and wet, what it's like when you're trying to teach and the kids are looking out the window at the snow, what it's like to drive in to school early in the morning with white knuckles because of the road conditions.......

What have been some of your experiences, either when you used to be in a classroom, or while in the library, with big snow storms?  

When I taught 3rd grade, I can remember how antsy and unfocused my students would get when it was snowing really hard outside.  We live in snowy Utah, for goodness sake, and you'd think that snow would not be such a distraction to kids---but my students were just about always distracted when it was storming.

Newbery Award

The Newbery Award will be announced on January 28, 2013.  What are your feelings about this award?

* Do your students regularly read award winners?

* Do some teachers assign students to read award books?

* The Newbery is traditionally intended for excellence in writing
   for middle readers.  Do you think that the Newbery winners
   and Honor books really reflect the interests of middle 
   readers?

* Have there been years where you just loved the winner?

* Have there been years when you didn't think the winner was a good choice?

* Have you seen trends in Newbery winners?

* What is your favorite Newbery winner of all time?

* What is your least favorite Newbery?

Rose's Birthday

Today is Rose's birthday!  Rose is such an integral part of everything that goes on at Jackson.  She is a true curriculum specialist!  Happy birthday to her!

Amy's Birthday

Today is Amy's birthday!  Amy does such a great job in embracing technology and integrating it seamlessly into her library curriculum.  Happy happy birthday to her!