Fun new children's book website!

The Guardian newspaper's Children's Books site is full of fun activities from book quizzes and answers to readers' questions to author and illustrator interviews, top 10 lists and reviews of new releases! Head on over to check it out!

Best Fiction for Young Adults!

The YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) 2011 list of Best Fiction for Young Adults is now available. This list covers a range of books in diverse genres for ages 12-18.

These days more and more adults have figured out that much young adult fiction is wonderfully written and entertaining no matter what your age. Check out this New York Times article on the subject of the growing popularity of YA fiction across all age levels!

Visit the library on parent/teacher conference days!

I will be in the library from 8am-3:30pm on March 16th and 17th, which are parent teacher conference days. If there is anything you would like to discuss, from encouraging your child to read more, to safely searching online for information, helping him/her try a greater variety of books, or research tips to help make homework go more smoothly, please come see me.

No appointment necessary! Consider this an open house time. You are welcome to take a look around the library even if you don't have any burning questions. I'd love to meet you!

Samantha Vamos at Open Window!

Last week we were fortunate enough to have Samantha Vamos come to our school. She did three presentations - one for kindergarten and first grade, one for second grade and one for fifth grade. Students got to see her PowerPoint slideshow about what it's like to be an author and a short movie about her life, listened to her read her books aloud, and got to ask her questions. (One of my favorite questions came from a first grader who asked, "Mrs. Vamos, what do you like better: writing books or selling books?")

Samantha emphasized that writing is a skill - and as with any skill, you get better with practice! She talked about how many times (about 50!) she rewrote her first picture book, Before You Were Here, Mi Amor, and how she learned to use rejections as a way to make the book better by really listening to the comments of the publishers who turned it down.

Fifth graders were able to see some of the early drafts of The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, with the editors' comments on both text and illustrations. Samantha had created a special presentation just for them on generating story ideas and described all the ways she gains inspiration for her writing. In turn, students were thrilled to share with her the stories they'd written in English and Spanish!

As always, it was a real treat to welcome an author to our campus and I hope the experience was one that our students will remember for years to come.

The University Book Store bookmark contest!

In the past you may have noticed the colorful bookmarks with children's artwork coming home with your student from the school library. University Book Store runs an annual bookmark contest for students in grades K-8. Winners will be chosen in three grade divisions and these artists will have their work printed up as bookmarks. We were delighted last year when one of our talented first graders won!

We will be handing out entry forms and information sheets in the school library starting today. Any student interested in entering may take one home (you can also pick up extras at the bookstore). The deadline is Friday, April 8th. Entries may be submitted in person at any UBS branch or mailed to:

Kids Books
University Book Store
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105-1009

Please do not send completed entries to school! We cannot take responsibility for them and do not want your child's precious artwork to get mislaid.

I have uploaded a copy of the directions to my SWIFT and Sharepoint pages. Please see the Documents section of my teacher websites if you need to refer to them.

Have questions about reading or information literacy? Come see me during parent/teacher conferences!

I will be in the library from 8am-3:30pm on March 16th and 17th, which are parent teacher conference days. If there is anything you would like to discuss, from encouraging your child to read more, to safely searching online for information, helping him/her try a greater variety of books, or research tips to help make homework go more smoothly, please come see me.

No appointment necessary! Consider this an open house time. You are welcome to take a look around the library even if you don't have any burning questions. I'd love to meet you!

Samantha Vamos - here tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 8th, our Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 5th grade students will get to meet with local bilingual author, Samantha Vamos! She will meet with them in three separate sessions to talk about her work, read her latest book to them, and answer their questions. 5th graders will get to learn about the process of becoming a published author, how she has drawn on her life experiences to create her books, and more. They have also been writing their own Spanish stories in preparation for her visit!

If you wish to purchase one of her books and get it signed, you may download the order form from my teacher website in the Current Families section of the school website, or just come to the main office tomorrow between 10:45-11:15am. Samantha would be happy to meet and chat with anyone who is interested.

Happy Read Across America Day!

In honor of the inimitable Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, today is Read Across America Day! With events planned across the country in honor of his birthday, this is a moment to stop and reflect on the man who extraordinary creative talents changed children's books forever. Why not sit down with your family and read The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss by Kathleen Krull, which is a delightful picture book biography?

The Geisel Award for excellence in literature for beginning readers is given out by the American Library Association (the same folks who award the Newbery and Caldecott Medals). Check out their list of winners for reading suggestions for your young reader!

You can also look at the official Dr. Seuss homepage, which is full of fun activities and check out the Dr. Seuss National Memorial.

Teens and adults may be interested to learn that in addition to writing for young children, Geisel was a political cartoonist and worked in the advertising industry. These sites highlight a little known side of this beloved author.