Seven Series Author Tour

Meet and learn from 4 great Canadian authors....all for FREE :)

Tuesday October 27th, Dover Bay Secondary School 7-9 PM

DEAR Drop Everything and Read

Monday October 26th is National School Library Day and Drop Everything and READ. Take 20 minutes today to stop all that you are doing and READ. Read for fun, enjoy a comic, read the newspaper or dive into a great novel. DEAR is a BC Teacher-Librarian Association event that celebrates the power of free reading, the joy of dropping everything around you and reading and the joy of literacy. #bctla_DEAR 


*Take a picture of you dropping everything and reading :) Send it to me vmartineau@sd68.bc.ca and I will post it on our blog. 

New Books at L@H K-7 Library

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and are set for a great school year.

 As the weather turns and fall begins to settle in, now might be a great time to curl up to a new book. Your L@H K-7 library has wonderful new selections to share with you.
Happy Reading <3 Val Martineau
Virtual Library Coordinator


 The Swap by Megan Shull
 Gr. 6/7 and up Multiple perspectives/ Character Driven

This was my favourite Young Adult (YA) read this summer has been the Swap by Megan Shull. 12-year-old Ellie was dumped by her best friend, is getting harassed at school and is feeling anything but good about herself. Jack is 13 and a hockey prodigy. He is pushed to the limit by the military style discipline of his father, where nothing he does is good enough for The Captain. Ending up in the nurse’s room for different reasons, both Jack and Ellie are wishing they had different lives. With the magic of a mystical, unfamiliar nurse the two switch bodies for the weekend. This fun, authentic, genuine story tells the tale of a boy and girl struggling to be themselves but realizing by being someone else they have a better perspective on who they are and what they can become. It is funny and awkward as they deal with puberty in bodies of the opposite gender. Friendships are formed, lessons are learned and best of all a realization that you are the best you, you can be. It’s a story of overcoming fear and shining from the inside out.

El Deafo by Cece Bell 
Gr. 4 and up Autobiographical Graphic Novel 
If you enjoyed Smile, Sisters and Drama by Rania Telgemeier you will likely enjoy El Deafo. Rated one of the top graphic novels of 2015, El Deafo is the autobiographical story of Cece who at four-years-old, contracts meningitis and loses her hearing. It’s a wonderful look at being deaf from the deaf child’s perspective. What is frustrating, what she likes, what drives her crazy and how she copes. Like Smile, it’s told with humour and compassion. El Deafo is a great read centering on acceptance, friendship and understanding. I really enjoyed Cece’s story.

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor Gr. 4-7
 Realistic Fiction 
 Georgina lives in her car with her mom after her parents separate. Her mom is working two jobs just to feed the kids. Georgina is looking to do anything to help her mom. When she sees a poster with a $500 reward for the return of a lost dog, Georgina decides to take things into her own hands. After looking for the dog and not finding it, she decides to steal a dog to claim the reward. This funny, well written story tells an unconventional tale of love, family and a moral quandary. It is a great book to read and discuss.

 Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
Gr. 4-7 Mystery Fast-paced 
This face paced mystery takes 13-year-old Theo and her friend Bodhi on an adventure to find the truth behind a painting. Is it a real Raphael? As her grandfather lays dying he whispers to Theo “There's a letter… And a treasure" hidden "under the egg.". If you like mystery and adventure mixed in with a bit of humour and a quirky friendship this story is for you.

 Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 
Gr. 4-6 Mystery Plot Driven 
 Synopsis from Novelist K-8 Just after twelve-year-old Emily and her family move to San Francisco, she teams up with new friend James to follow clues in an odd book they find, hoping to figure out its secrets before the men who attacked Emily's hero, publisher Garrison Griswold, solve the mystery or come after the friends.

 Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
 Gr. 3-6 Humour 
This funny book is another hit for David Walliams. Ben has to spend time with his really old Granny and soon learns she has a secret life. It’s funny, silly and overt the top ridiculous at times but its also about seeing someone for who they really are and realizing how important it is to get to know the person before judging them. Telegraph Magazine review: "An enjoyable read with an unexpected bittersweet ending" - The Sun "Hugely entertaining... a comic, touching and at times sad story" - Daily Express "This is possibly David's funniest book ever." - Heat "Anyone who thinks that all grannies do is wear mauve...will laugh out loud at David Walliams' new book"

 Poison Ivy by Amy Goldan Koss 
 Gr. 7 -10* (some mature language)
Booklist review from Novelist K-8: What better way to explain government in action than to stage a mock trial, in this case a trial in which one unpopular girl, Ivy (aka Poison Ivy), seeks to bring three bullies to justice. Alas, the questionable ambitions of a teacher, the fearful power of popularity, and the sad truth of how losers are made combine to make things ugly. The trial unfolds through the alternating viewpoint of several students, each of whom has a distinctive voice: Marcus is penetrating and contemptuous; Ivy's is strangely cool; Ann's bubbles with cruelty. Sometimes the dialogue sounds candid and natural; at other times, it’s overly dramatized. And, unfortunately, because readers never see how Ivy is bullied (were just told its bad), the story lacks an emotional punch. The message is clear: beauty, popularity, and fear are the trinity by which girls rule, and although most teenagers aren’t cruel, many are indifferent to the suffering of their peers and are thankful they aren’t the ones in the spotlight. School stories like this aren’t rare, but they make compelling reading for teenagers in the trenches. -- Krista Hutley (Reviewed 02-15-2006) (Booklist, vol 102, number 12, p93)

Summer Reading

The power of summer reading is ENOURMOUS! A Canadian literacy study shows that reading 20-30 min/day 4-5 days a week will not only maintain your reading level but will likely improve your reading and comprehension level over the summer. That means by reading your favourite books, learning about your favourite subject or by simply reading a magazine or newspaper, you will not only be enjoying yourself, you will be improving your reading skills. Yeah for that! Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) is a great place to visit over the summer. The new Hammond Bay North, Wellington or Downtown Harbour libraries are perfect places to grab a book, curl up on the comfy chairs or listen to a story. There are a lot of great events throughout the summer. Be sure to check out http://virl.bc.ca My pile for summertime reads is growing rapidly. What’s in your pile? Some great books you may want to consider over the summer: K-2 Fiction Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems (great stories for your little ones – enjoy the whole series) Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I Am Not) by Peter Brown If you Plant a Seed by Tom Lichtenheld Red a Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett (anything by Emily Gravett is wonderful) Pete the Cat books by James Dean, Eric Litwin & Kim Dean The Crocodile Who Didn’t Like Water by Gemma Merino The I’m not scared book by Todd Parr (I love books by Todd Parr <3) Primary Non-Fiction Up In the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner Butterflies by Melvin & Gilda Berger One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies The Emperor’s Egg by Martin Jenkins Gr.3-4 Fiction Babymouse (anyone in the series) by Jennifer L. Holm Clementine (series) by Sara Pennypacker Otherwise known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume English Roses (series) by Madonna Gr. 4-5 Fiction Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo Firegirl by Tony Abbott El Deafo by Cece Bell (if you liked Smile, Sisters and Drama you will like El Deafo) *It is one of my most favourite books of the year) Babysitters Club – graphic novels by Ann Martin and Raina Telgemeier (same author as Smile) Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (graphic novel) Gracefall by Wendy Mass (anything by Wendy Mass is great) Conspiracy 365 (series) by Gabrielle Lord – boys love this series Brody’s Ghost (Vol.1-3) by Mark Crilley Strange Case of Origami Yoda (series) by Tom Angleberger Gr. 6-7 Fiction The Swap by Megan Shull Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper Running Dream by Wendy Van Draanen The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg El Deafo by Cece Bell (if you liked Smile, Sisters and Drama you will like El Deafo) *It is one of my most favourite books of the year Counting by 7’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan Conspiracy 365 (series) by Gabrielle Lord – boys love this series Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz Non-Fiction Gr. 4-7 A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (my favourite non-fiction book of the year) The Six Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens by Sean Covey (Gr. 7 and up) – on my summer list to read with my teenage daughters When choosing a book for a great read remember to use your IPICK strategy I – I choose my book P – Purpose – Why are you reading it? For summer reading…read for pleasure  I – Interest – Do I like it? C – Comprehension – Do I understand it? K – Know most of the words (five fingers) Have a safe and wonderful summer! Happy Reading  Mrs. Martineau

New Books Now on Display

Gr. 4-7 New Books

K-3 New Books

It was so lovely seeing so many students in today. I was glad to see many of you stocking up on great books.  The new books are now on display in the classroom in two bins – K-3 New Books and Gr. 4-7 New Books.  Last week’s large order is on its way.  Those books should be ready for borrowing in a few weeks.   If you are reading a great book right now, I would love to hear about.  Drop me a line and let me know what you like about it.  vmartineau@sd68.bc.ca

Bookfest May 2nd ~ A great day to enjoy a visit with Great Canadian Authors

www.bookfest.ca

BookFest 2015 is taking place Saturday, May 2nd in downtown Nanaimo. The hub of activity will be in the Diana Krall Plaza, while the presenter sessions are held in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre and the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s Art Lab. Free Pre-school sessions will be held in the Nanaimo Museum and are available for children under 5 with an accompanying adult.  Tickets are $10 per child for 3 sessions, to a maximum of $25 per family.

Read about our presenters and check out the BookFest schedule to choose your 3 sessions. Buy tickets online, over the phone or in person through The Port Theatre (250.754.8550).

Check out these new books!

We have added some great new books to our collection that I wanted to share with you.  They are light and fun just in time for spring.  The Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon is a funny laugh-out-loud series about a young boy named Henry who constantly seems to be getting into trouble.  It’s a great book for both boys and girls. 

“The best children’s comic writer.” Amanda Craig, Times

“I love Horrid Henry books.  They have lots of funny bits and Henry always gets into trouble.” Mia

“Wonderfully appealing to girls and boys alike, a precious rarity at this age.” Judith Woods, Times

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel is so popular that we have added more of the series to our collection including School Daze and Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray.   

For our younger readers we have quite a few new DK readers 1-3.  Just in time for summer we have the ever popular Frozen series J and of course more from the Star Wars series that we can’t keep on the shelf.  Please stop by and check out our new books.

Where to find these books:

Bad Kitty found in stacks F BRU  (stacks are in the main library)

Horrid Henry series found in stacks F SIM

DK Readers found in bins on the primary side – DK readers 1, 2 or 3

This is just a small sample of new books coming in to L@H.  Today we placed a large order and I am excited to share them with you when they arrive.

Happy Reading!   Mrs. Val Martineau Teacher Librarian L@H

Spring Break is a great time to READ!

Bookfest May 2^nd, Downtown Naniamo 

Bookfest 2015 will be held Saturday May 2^nd at the Diana Krall Plaza in downtown Nanaimo from 10 am – 3 pm.  Nine Canadian authors and illustrators will be giving workshops, signing books and sharing stories of how they became professional authors.  Presentations are for students in elementary school with authors specializing in different age ranges.  E.g. Mike Deas for 8 year olds and older.  Younger children can take part in preschool story time and a preschool puppet show.  You can sit and enjoy your lunch at the plaza while being entertained by the Stratford Hall School Taiko Drummers from Vancouver.  Check out more about Bookfest at http://www.bookfest.ca/

One of the books in The Seven Series

Spring Break – Read, Read, Read!!!

I can’t wait to spend some time reading this spring break. I hope you enjoy a great book over the holidays. I would love to hear what you are reading.

 

Chapters spring break activities – I was visiting Chapters this week, stocking up on books for our library J and heard about their spring break workshops. 

All workshops start at 11AM and are free! 

Monday Dr. Seuss

 
Tuesday Wimpy Kid

Wednesday Lego (be sure to phone ahead and book this one as they have limited numbers)

Thursday Disney

Friday Klutz

 

For more information stop in at Chapters or visit http://indigo.ca/marchbreak   

 

Have a safe and happy spring break.

Mrs. Martineau

Be sure to stock up before spring break...

It’s time to dive into some great fiction!

I have recently been working on the fiction section and wanted to share some great reads with you.

I was excited to see how deep our collection is.

Here are some books you may want to take a look at:



See reviews below



My Name is Mina by David Almond

F ALM

This is a prequel to Skelig told from the perspective of Michael’s neighbour Mina.  This story is told through Mina’s journal.  Here is SLJ’s review from our Novelist K-8. 

School Library Journal:

Gr 6 – 8 — Mina fills her new journal with thoughts, dreams, and stories. She has left St. Bede's Middle School to be homeschooled by her mum. The reasons for this are slowly revealed. Mina writes about her home life (happy with her mum, but they both miss her late father). About her time at St. Bede's (unhappy since some of her teachers did not appreciate her extreme sense of whimsy). About a new family moving in up the street (with a young boy who turns out to be Michael from Skellig ). About nature (particularly the blackbirds nesting in her tree). And about the time she attended an alternative school (that did not last long). The layout is great fun. Since this is a journal, the main font looks like handwriting. When Mina writes a poem or focuses on a particular word, the "handwriting" gets thicker and darker, as though written with a felt-tip marker. When Mina wants to distance herself from the action, she drops into the third person and writes a story in a more formal typeface. Boxes scattered throughout the text include "Extraordinary Activity" suggestions: writing a particular kind of poem, watching the stars, or flying while you dream. Almond portrays Mina as a girl with a great love of words and learning, and he plays joyfully with language. This might make for tricky going for some readers, but it is truly a wonderful book.—Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT --Geri Diorio (Reviewed November 1, 2011) (School Library Journal, vol 57, issue 11, p111)

Harvey by Herve Coubchard and Janice Nadeau

F BOU

Harvey is a book I have seen on starred reviews but have not yet read. It looks almost like a large picture book (similar in look to The Inventions of Hugo Cabret).  The content however is quite different.  This book will take you on an emotional ride.  Harvey is a young boy who loses his father. Through the grieving process he begins to feel invisible. Some pages having no text where the story is told through pictures. It is told somewhat like a graphic novel in that pictures are used to move the story forward.  It is recommended for 9-12 year olds. 

 Kirkus Review’s look at Harvey

Kirkus:

A sparse, evocative look at a father's death. Young Harvey lives in a simple time in which friends race toothpicks down gushing gutters, anxiously running alongside to see whose wins. On one of these idyllic spring days, Harvey comes home to find that his father has suffered a fatal heart attack. In the wake of the death and subsequent memorial service, he feels himself slipping away, into what he calls "invisibility." The narrative gently fades out, as does Harvey's presence. Harvey's child's-eye perspective is flawlessly conveyed in both naïve-looking drawings, artfully composed, and direct, present-tense narration alert to detail and rendered in blocky hand printing. His grief and confusion is painfully clear in the smudged, muted colors and heavy use of white space. Eschewing boxy panels, this lyrical elegy glides along seamlessly, languishing over each space. The original, French edition won Canada's Governor General's Awards for both text and illustration. Pensive, with hushed, desolate notes, this is best suited for thoughtful readers,

emotionally intelligent and aesthetically resonant. (Christine Walde Quill & Quire 2010-12-01)

...an imaginative work of psychological insight, uncommon beauty, humour and poignancy. (Susan Perren Globe and Mail 2010-10-02)Popular series

Some popular series to keep in mind

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer – Follow the adventure and hijinks of 12-year old Artemis Fowl as he tries to regain the family’s reputation as the top crime-family in the land.  This fast paced, adventure is full of fun, adventure and a lot of imagination.   

Miraculous journey of Edward Tulane  by Kate Di Camillo:  This story (Gr.3-6 range) tells the tale of Edward, a china rabbit who is beloved by Abilene, a young girl.  Edward is lost at sea and learns that not all people love him like Abilene.  The story takes us through Edward’s journey of meeting people who are not at all like Abilene.  As he realizes not all hearts are as kind as his friend’s, he also realizes that its sometimes the people that are harshest that need the most love. Edward Tulane is written by the same author as Because of Winn- Dixie.  Both are great reads.

Other great series…. Rangers Apprentice & Spiderwick

Tween reads for our Gr. 6/7 students

Maze runner series, Oliver Nocturne , Secret of the Trolls, Beautiful Creatures

Love Your School Library Question for Thursday February 12th, 2015

Question for Thursday



Name two books written by author Emily Gravett? 

Hint: You may want to scroll down to an earlier blog posting.

Bonus points:  Can you name all the Emily Gravett books we have in our L@H library catalogue? 

You will want to check our  Destiny catalogue.

Good luck and have fun.  Be sure to email me the answers at vmartineau@sd68.bc.ca

Please note that the SD68 servers were down most of Wednesday.  I will respond to your emails as soon as possible. Thanks so much.  Happy Reading.

Mrs. Val Martineau 


Love Your School Library - Question for Wednesday February 11, 2015

Thanks to those that emailed me with answers to the questions. You can look for a prize in your box on Friday :)

Wednesday February 11th, 2015 ....the question is

Wednesday's question

 

Put the following books in library shelf order  

 

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

 

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel

 

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 

 

Email me your answer (hint: alphabetical by authors last name) to vmartineau@sd68.bc.ca 

Love Your School Library

This week is Love Your School Library Week.  In celebration of literacy, the love of books, school libraries and literacy of all types we are running a contest. 

Answer any of the following questions and send your answer to Mrs. Martineau at vmartineau@sd68.bc.ca for a prize.  Happy searching :)

All the answers to today's questions can be found in bold on the library update recently sent out.

1. What is the name of the catalouging system we use for non-fiction books in the library?

2. What is one our our most popular series in our L@H library?  Hint we have more than 100 books in this series. 

3. What popular fiction series now has non-fiction companion books?

4.  We recently added the DVD of this award-winning CBC television series to our colleciton.  What is the name of this series featuring a trickster and powerful transformer?  

5.  Can you tell me the author of the above series (question 4). 

6.  Text features help us pinpoint information in non-fiction books.  What is an example of  a text feature?

7.  Can you name one (or more) books recently added to our collection? Bonus marks if you can include the Dewey call number. 

I look forward to hearing from you.  Mrs. Val Martineau - Teacher Librarian L@H