Summer Reading 2016!

Here's the official flyer for Summer Reading 2016 here in North Andover! A reminder - none of the titles listed are required, they're here to get kids thinking about what to choose this summer. Students can read whatever they like as long as they try to read at least 20 minutes every day. It's so important to keep those brains active over the summer! 

Click here, or on the image below, to download the list!

http://www.northandoverpublicschools.com/faculty/elementarylibrary/SummerReadingFlyer2016.pdf

Happy New Year, and a December Review!

Happy 2016, NAPS library fans! I can't believe we're already in a brand-new year!

Last month, we completely switched my library schedule in order to free up more time with other classes that aren't scheduled for "check-out time" on the day I'm at each school - with the exception of Kittredge, where I get to see every class already! This change has been amazing - it has allowed me to visit with more classes, and as the year progresses, I'll be able to develop library lessons catered to each grade and their learning objectives.

The Hour of Code!

December was mostly all about chromebooks - for some classes, using the chromebooks during a "library instruction" block was the very first time they'd had a chance to log in, which is awesome! We hosted approximately 42 Hours of Code across all five elementary schools, which means that over 1,000 elementary school students experienced their first taste of computer science instruction! 

@NAPS_Librarian add my 5 and we have 42 classes. That's over 1000 NAPS elementary students who did #hourofcode these 2 weeks!!!

— Kara Larcome (@KaraLarcome) December 22, 2015

Pretty neat, huh?

We are still analyzing the exit ticket data we collected from the Hour of Code, but here's a snapshot of how the kids felt during the process - the larger the word is, the more often kids used it in their description of how they felt during the Hour of Code:

So glad our students are feeling mostly "happy and excited" about computer science!

Other Library Activities 

This month, I also had a chance to share some very fun stories with the younger grades, including my all-time favorite winter-themed picture book, Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett.

Click on the picture to find this book in the Stevens Memorial Library catalog!

This cozy read is all about the virtues of being a kind and giving person - and Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen make a truly remarkable team. The pictures tell as much of the story as the words do, and the ending leaves lots of room for creative discussion and literary exploration.

Up Next: databases, using our reference books, computer science, and an exciting project for the 5th Graders! 

Recommended Title: "Hug Machine" by Scott Campbell

The holidays can be a wonderful time to share books with your kids - but sometimes it can be hard to choose something that everyone will like. Speaking from personal experience, it's also often hard to find seasonally relevant picture books that are non-denominational AND well-written. For me, there's one go-to book that gets to the heart of what this time of year is all about without being too cloying, too sweet, or too specific.

Click on the picture to find this book in the Stevens Memorial Library catalog!

Hug Machine by Scott Campbell is a snapshot of the life of a young boy who's on a mission to spread joy and happiness though his hugs. He's excitable, relatable, and enthusiastic about his mission, proclaiming over and over, "I AM THE HUG MACHINE!" He hugs crying babies! Mailboxes! Spiky porcupines! Nothing he encounters is not worth an earnest squeeze.

I like this book for a few reasons. For starters, it's very silly, and uses a lot of active language to help the story feel action-packed. The illustrations are sufficiently detailed to offer new discoveries with every reading. It's also one of the only stories I've read about sharing kindness and affection that has a young boy as its protagonist. Our hero Hug Machine is definitely demonstrating the "E" in "RAISE" throughout this book!

This is Scott Campbell's first work as an author of children's books; previously, he illustrated Kelly DiPucchio's Zombie in Love and Zombie in Love 2+1. I'm a big fan of these books, so if you like his artwork you should definitely check them out - they are, however, decidedly more gruesome than Hug Machine.

Recommendation Snapshot:

Ideal Audience: K-4th grade (it's pretty short but would work as a discussion-starter for older grades).

Ideal Time of Day/Year for Sharing: holidays, Valentine's Day, bedtime

Worth Owning?: The art in this story will stand the test of time, I think, and the story makes for a great gift idea!

Parent Enjoyment Level: On a scale of 1-10, I'd put this at a solid 8 - it's cute without being saccharine, and will probably result in you getting lots of hugs! 

Recommended Title: "The Book with No Pictures" by B.J. Novak

I'm sure many parents are already familiar with this completely amazing book, but just in case you aren't aware - The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak is a delightful read-aloud that kids in North Andover are going crazy for! In fact, could it be the best read-aloud book EVER?!

Click on the picture to see this title in the Stevens Memorial Library catalog!

In our discussions about the Parts of a Book with the younger grades (more on this in a later post!), we talk about the "rules of a story" - i.e. that reading means "saying all the words on the page". The Book With No Pictures is all about this concept, and "tricks" grown-ups into reading silly words, sounds, and songs out loud!

Although many kids have read it before, a couple of classes were introduced to this title for the first time this week, and one kindergartner's reaction sums up the experience:

"I'm laughing so much I have tears coming out of my eyeballs!"

I'm working on getting at least one copy of this title for every elementary library; in the meantime, visit Stevens (or another local library) and pick up a copy today!

Recommendation Snapshot:

Ideal Audience: Preschool - 3rd grade.

Ideal Time of Day for Sharing: Anytime BUT bedtime! It's too silly!

Worth Owning?: Yes, but the novelty factor of reading it for the first time is part of the appeal.

Parent Enjoyment Level: On a scale from 1-10, this is easily an 11.