It's the most wonderful time of the year!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!  What time is that? BOOK FAIR TIME!!!

I'm sure many of you share my love of the Scholastic Book Fair.  The school PTAs are so generous with their time and their donations.  New books are so terrific, and I especially love it when you, my students, tell me what books excite you, so I can choose them from the book fair for the library!  I know one student at Marshall Hill has repeatedly asked me for the 3rd "Big Nate" book. He'll be happy to know that I saw it today as the PTA was unpacking the book fair!

That's right, Marshall Hill's book fair is the week of Feb. 28-March 4.
Westbrook's book fair is at the end of April. I am so lucky to be able to attend both!

Family Literacy Nights are coming up too.  I'll be at Marshall Hill's on Tuesday March 1. We'll be "buddy reading" in the library, and raffling off Eric Carle books and matching stuffed toys as well.

I understand I'll be seeing some Marshall Hill graduates - 7th graders from the RED cluster at Macopin, who will be volunteering their time to help with the buddy reading. I look forward to meeting you!  I've been told that you discovered this blog in your 3rd period Financial Literacy class! Feel free to write/comment and tell me what middle schoolers are reading these days!

I love books, don't you? 

I've been reading a new kind of book for the last month. Ebooks!  I recently got an ipad, and with that I have been able to download apps for Kindle, Borders, Nook, and ibooks. I wasn't sure I was going to like reading electronic books - I thought I might miss some book experiences, like the smell of a new book, and the feel of the pages.

One benefit I keep telling everyone ... when I fall asleep reading, I don't lose my place now!!!

How many of you have e-readers? I'd love to hear about what you're reading and how you like it!

So what are we reading in school now?  Kindergarteners have just finished listening to all of Kate and Jim McMullans books: "I'm Dirty," "I Stink," "I'm Bad," and "I'm Mighty."   They loved all of them!

I always enjoy Jon Scieska and Lane Smith's books - "Cowboy and Octopus" is a great one. So is "It's a Book!"  Mr. Marshall has posted a video book review of "Cowboy and Octopus" on YouTube (click on the underlined book title to go there).  You can also hear It's a Book! on YouTube.

First greaders are gobbling up all of Mo Willems's books - he seems to be coming out with more and more Elephant and Piggy books, and they are just great!  Visit Pigeon Presents to play some games that go along with his stories.

Fifth graders are creating a brochure about a state. They've been researching facts about their states, and even heard some of the lesser known and sillier facts from listening to bits and pieces of "Go Go America"  by Dan Yaccarino. In this book, many of the states list some of the crazier laws that are still on the books.

Hope you're enjoying all those great new books out there! Let me know your thoughts!

Mrs. Gridley