Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Parent DVD Collection

Good morning!  On this dreary day, we have some exciting news: Overbrook now has a DVD collection in the library just for parents!  It contains many wonderful Saints and religious DVDs.  It is located in the library workroom on the stand-alone bookshelf.  I'll show you how to check them out under your child's account.  These movies are perfect for the Lenten season and a rainy day like today.

Notable DVDs:

Of Gods and Men (2010)
 The Song of Bernadette (1943)
Saint John Bosco: Mission to Love (2004)
Maria Goretti (2003)




Monday, February 27, 2012

Bookstore Touches

There are some obvious differences between libraries and bookstores.  In a library, students have thousands of books at their fingertips that they can take home for free...as long as they bring them back.  At a bookstore, the book is yours to keep forever...if you pay for it.  That doesn't mean libraries can't learn a thing or two from bookstores!  For instance, libraries can take a cue from snazzy book displays featuring crisp new books and recommendations.  That's what we've tried to do at Overbrook, so the next time you're here, take a look at some of these books in the limelight.
Some of our new early readers and picture books.
I actually bought these displays from Borders!
Upper library:  "Cool Books for Cool Dudes."

Friday, February 24, 2012

First Level Friday

Is your child starting on the lifelong journey of reading?  Lucky for you, we're working on building an excellent first level collection!  The books below are a cross between picture books and more advanced chapter books and are sometimes called "early readers." They have pictures, are shorter than regular chapter books (but still may contain short chapters), and have a controlled vocabulary and repetition to increase fluency.   

Ling & Ting:  Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin

This Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book had me laughing out loud.  It's an adorable story about identical twins who are different in funny and surprising ways. 
 Ride, Fly Guy, Ride! by Tedd Arnold

This latest installment in the Fly Guy series comes out in March (it will be available to check out next month!), but any Fly Guy book is a funny read, especially for boys.
 My Robot by Eve Bunting

This book by legendary author Eve Bunting is about a boy named Dennis and his robot Cecil.  At the end, it contains a section on how to make a robot puppet.  It's first level, but there are more words on the page than any of the other books.
 A Kiss for Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

Any book in this classic series is great, and this one is first level (most are second level).  Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, who did Where the Wild Things Are, this is a sweet story about Little Bear's journey meeting all kinds of animals.
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Lynn Sweat

Another book about the queen of idioms!  This time, the kooky maid misunderstands all kinds of sayings on a camping trip.  Many students enjoy the humor in Amelia Bedelia books. 

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Third Level Thursday

Good morning!  Does your child read third level books?  Splendid!  Here are four great third level reads.  Tell them to take a look at their next checkout!


Wild River by P.J. Peterson (JF Pet)

Harrowing adventure story of a boy whose older brother is seriously injured during a kayak trip.  It is up to Ryan to rescue his brother and ultimately save his life.  Nominated for the Tennessee Volunteer State Award 2011-2012.




Kylie Jean: Blueberry Queen by Marci Peschke (JF Pes)

Everyone in Kylie's small Texas town is preparing for the blueberry festival, and Kylie's dream is to become the Blueberry Queen.  However, complications abound for this spunky heroine.





Freckle Juice by Judy Blume (JF Blu)

This hilarious classic is sure to amuse any child.  Andrew wants freckles so bad, he's willing to pay his classmate Sharon five weeks worth of allowance for her super secret "freckle juice" recipe.  He discovers the recipe is a strange combination of ingredients like ketchup, grape juice, and mayonnaise.  Maybe not having freckles isn't so bad after all.

Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar (JF Sac)

If your children like the "My Weird School" series, this book is for them.  A laugh-out-loud story about wacky students and nasty cafeteria food (from the cafeteria lady Miss Mush).

Also in the series:  Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

African American History Month

This month is African American History Month, and here are some superb reads about African Americans in history. There are many wonderful books in the library that I could have put on this list.  Instead, here are my top eight favorites.





Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine (E Lev). This Caldecott Honor book tells the amazing tale of Henry, a slave, who mails himself in a box to freedom.  (Book level 3.0, .5 AR points)







Art from Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter (J92 Hun).  This true story of Clementine Hunter, who goes from slave to world-renowned artist, will warm your heart. (Book level 5.3, .5 AR points)




Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave (J92 Dav).  No matter what your age, you have to read this Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King award winner. It's a beautiful story about Dave and his mind-blowing talents at making pottery (and poetry!).  (Book level 6.0, .5 AR points)




Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller (E Mil).  You will not take reading for granted after you finish this book about the lengths author Richard Wright went to in order to gain access to books. (Book level 4.0, .5 AR points)






Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes (811 Hug).  Anyone who reads these poems is guaranteed to love them. (Book level 6.5, 1 AR point)







Matthew Henson and the North Pole Expedition (92 Hen).  This biography tells the story of Matthew Henson, a 53 year-old adventurous spirit who was part of the first expedition to the North Pole. (Book level 5.2, 1 AR point) 






Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (F And).  This page-turner is a National Book Award Finalist about Isabel, a slave in New York City at the start of the Revolutionary War. Has a sequel called Forge whose narrator is a boy named Curzon.  (Book level 5.2, 11 AR points)





Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (F Tay). A Newbery Award Winner about an African American family in the South during the Great Depression. (Book level 5.7, 10 AR points)







For more books in the Overbrook library about African American history (we have more than 100!), click here or go to the library catalog home page.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Miss Griffin's Pick: Lincoln: A Photobiography


Lincoln:  A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

Book Level:  7.7
AR Points:  5

In honor of Lincoln's birthday on February 12, my pick is this Newberry Award winning biography.  It is full primary sources--quotes, political cartoons, photographs, and documents about Lincoln's life and the Civil War.  Not only that, but it's interesting to read, too!  For any students interested in nonfiction or the Civil War, this is a good choice.

Other riveting nonfiction books: Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (F Swa), Bloody Times: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis by James L. Swanson (973.7 Swa), They Called Themselves the KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (322.4 Bar)

Friday, February 3, 2012

Workroom Hall of Fame

This summer, some parents worked hard to clean out the library workroom and transform it into an office for Mr. Gray and Mr. Meehan.  We found many funny, strange things lurking on the shelves.  Here is my Hall of Fame time capsule for the quirkiest things we found:


circa 1990s:  IBM Personal Computer owner's manual.  Remember when computers looked like this?  How far we've come!  

 



1980s:  EWOKS VHS tape--special double length edition too!   




1970s:  Roberta Flack biography.  The appeal of this might be lost on anyone under the age of 30.


And finally...

1950s:  I don't remember the title of this book, but here's a close-up of the cover: a boy wielding a saw next to his sister's toys.  This might not turn out well for little Susie.


Anyway, we're so blessed to have a chapel at Overbrook, and I'm happy to have some neighbors in the revamped library workroom!