Good Books; or Titles that Every Elementary School Library Needs

When I took over the elementary school library where I currently work, the collection was (and still is to some extent) in shambles. The nonfiction section was severely outdated. The Reference section was still in possession of encyclopedias from the 1950’s. And the Easy section was moldy. No seriously, there was mold growing in the books.

After I purchased a dust mask and a pair of rubber gloves from the hardware store, I went to work weeding out all of the unused and potential biohazards from the collection. While I worked, I kept on a loop in my head a line from a presenter at a recent workshop, “the school library is not an archive, the school library is not an archive…”

One of the things that I discovered while weeding out picture books in the easy section was how strong the collection was with Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Berenstain Bears and how weak it was with original picture books and stories that teach. Aside from obtaining a few of the classics from well known authors, my goal was to purchase good down-to-earth children’s literature that would support the curriculum, provide instructional opportunities for staff, and motivate youngsters to read.

Over the last two years I’ve made my share of mistakes when purchasing books. I’ve bought books that were too hard, too long, too edgy and even a few that landed my butt in the principal’s office. I often found myself wishing that I had access to an annotated list or something similar that recommended “must haves” to new school librarians. Here is a short list of books, in no particular order, that every new school librarian should consider having in their clip.

Wolves by Emily Gravett - Clever. Very clever. A rabbit that goes to the public library to research its biggest fear: WOLVES!! Very well put together with excellent illustrations. Could be used to introduce research to lower level (K-3) grades.

Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O’Malley- The story is told from the perspective of a young boy and young girl who argue back and forth about how to put together a fairy tale for their English project. Students will indentify with at least one of the characters, and will be drawn to the illustrations. I don’t read many picture books to 4th and 5th graders but this book is extremely popular.

Where Did Daddy’s Hair Go? by Joe O’Connor- A great character education book that discusses how every individual is unique. I blogged about this a few weeks ago.

Dogzilla and KatKong by Dav Pilkey - Dogzilla is included in the Houghton Mifflin reading series. Students love the animals as the main characters and the illustrations are uncommon.

How the Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac- Bruchac is the author of many pourquoi tales but this is one of his better books. Students love this genre and there are many avenues to pursue if you’d like to make it an extended unit of study.

Biscuit (series) by Alyssa Capucilli- A great set of lower level (step 1 &2) books that have one or two sentences per page. Features an adorable golden retriever puppy as the main character.

Henry and Mudge (series) by Cynthia Rylant- Another set of lower level chapter books, perfect for students in younger grades. I use these books to talk about how to select a “just right book” and often recommend them to emergent readers ready to make the next step.

Dog’s Rule by Daniel Kirk- This is considered a poetry/song book and it’s put together very well. Every other page contains a new song and story about dogs. In the back of the book there’s a CD with the rhymes put to music, so students can follow along while reading. In my few years as a librarian, I haven’t seen many books that utilize this concept.

The Shelf Elf by Jackie Hopkins- A great book to talk to students about library etiquette and book care. You’ll want to use this one in September and October when you’re talking to the little ones about taking care of what they take out.

The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens- Another great character education choice. Prairie Dogs take the main stage as their community is turned upside down when a dog’s tennis ball invades their home. Numerous discussions and activities about the characters and their actions can take place after reading this book.

Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems- Youngsters will be able to identify with Willems’ style. The “pigeon” has turned into a series with numerous activities that can be found here.

Bone (series #1-#4) by Jeff Smith- A graphic novel series with a main character that’s a hybrid between Snoopy and Casper the Ghost. The storyline and writing are excellent and will hook students at any level, especially those in Grades 3-8

Food for thought: the complete book of concepts for growing minds by Saxton Freymann- Lots of possibilities with this one…math, ELA, science.

Late for School by Mike Reiss- Excellent illustrations, a great selection to to read at the start of the school year.

So, what’s it like to be a cat? by Karla Kuskin- A story that’s conducted as an interview. Perfect for introducing interviewing as a strategy to acquire information.

Traction Man is here! by Mini Grey- A story with a hilarious superhero. Boys will love this one.

Snow Dude by Daniel Kirk- It’s the gingerbread man only with snow. If you live in the northeast, its a must have for the winter months. It’s also a safe choice to recommend to your principal for a read-aloud.

The extinct files: my science project by Wallace Edwards- A book about dinosaurs that is written as a research project. If you follow Big Six or a similar information problem solving program, this book would be a perfect launch-pad to start discussions about research.

Image Citation:
Smith, Jeff. “Bone #1″ Cartoon Books. 2007. 21 Feb 2007 <http://www.boneville.com/gallery?file=ScholasticCovers/>.

New ISTE Standards

OK, so they’re not Library and Information Literacy standards per se, but I like the direction NETS is headed with their updated (1/04/07) ISTE standards for students. We should be steering the conversation and our curriculum programs in K-12 settings towards this model.

As an elementary school librarian, I have felt that for years now the nine information literacy standards set forth by AASL in Information Power (199 are outdated. The planning of these standards probably started sometime in ‘96 when computing and being information literate meant something different. A draft document was most likely laid out in ’97, and full adoption of the standards took place sometime in ’98.

It’s now almost ten years later, and school librarians and educators are still working with the same document. In a time of rapid change and emergent technologies, we need to do better than that. Shoot, in 1998 I was still in high school. That means in the time since AASL last updated their standards, I’ve graduated high school, received a four year degree in Elementary Education, received a two year graduate degree in Library and Information Science, and worked two years as an elementary school librarian. And in that time, my world and the way I work, learn, and interact with my social network has been completely turned upside down.

I commend ISTE on their work and recognizing the need to update their standards. I only wish that AASL would’ve updated theirs sooner.

My Top Five Devices

There’s nothing like a snow day from school to get you back blogging again. For me, this day is going wonderfully. I can’t recall a recent time where I was so productive on an unplanned day off from work. But, enough about the snow.

I often get into discussions with my brother about which pieces of technology are the most important in our lives. He has his opinions and his list, and I have mine. I base my list and rank off of the importance the device has on: 1) Allowing me to complete my professional and personal work. 2) Allowing me to communicate with my social network. 3) Providing an avenue for entertainment, laughter, and relaxation. 4) Allowing me to document and pursue my hobbies and personal interests.

So without further hesitation, I give you my top five devices.

1. Apple iBook (05/06, 12 inch screen, running OSX Tiger) – Easily the best $1200 I have ever spent on a piece of technology. This little laptop computer has been my workhorse over the last two years. It’s gotten me through graduate school, the job hunt, and my first two years as a school librarian. Every time that I’ve needed it to come through it has with flying colors, whether it was the reliability of the OS or installed software (like the Office and iLife suites). Even the battery life has exceeded expectations. It has been my one stop shop for organizing my life. Anything and everything personal and professional resides on my iBook. And before you warn me, I do have it backed up.

2. LG enV (Verizon Wireless)- My brand new cell phone of one month. I’ve grown to love and rely on this little do-it-all device. It’s a brand new product released by LG, so the documentation and feedback is still in the emerging phases. It’s more than just my cell phone. Similar to the T-Mobile Sidekick, the enV opens up to an impressive color screen with a FULL qwerty keypad. That’s right, a full qwerty keypad, which comes in clutch for rapid fire text messages and eases the use of navigational features of the device. It also has Bluetooth which allows for wireless transmission of data, images, and music. The clarity of the mp3 player surpasses expectations, and with a pair of earbuds in the auxiliary jack, you could easily mistake it for an iPod. On the flip side of the enV sits a 2 mega-pixel camera which takes surprisingly clear pictures if your patient and hold it steady enough. If I had one beef with the enV, it would be that it’s a little too bulky for it to be a pocket phone. But, there’s no way I’m wearing it on my hip (modern day pocket protector) and a purse is out of the question.

3. Sirius Sportster Satellite Radio- In February 2005, while still in graduate school and with a couple hundred dollars to my name I invested in a lifetime subscription to Sirius. Pretty gutsy on my behalf without ever having a monthly or yearly subscription in the past. I sunk about $600 bucks into the Sportster device, the car kit, and the lifetime subscription. In the beginning I felt like I made a huge mistake. I only listened to it while traveling in my car. Since then, Sirius has expanded their programming and options for listening. Now there are around 150 channels and they offer most of their content streamed over the Internet. The music is rock solid and commercial free no matter what the genre. And if you’re into talk radio, there are about 40 or so options to choose from. If you’re not a subscriber, I highly recommend you gauge your interest by taking the free trial off the Sirius website.

4. iPod 4^th Generation- I purchased this in September 2004 when the iPod was in its early stages. Before the Nano. Before the Shuffle. When having a color screen wasn’t an option and when your only choices were between a 20 or 40 gig model. Compared to the models Apple is releasing lately, my iPod seems like something from the 1950’s with its black and white screen and giant click wheel. At times, it feels like I’m the owner of the Zack Morris iPod (all you Saved by the Bell fans get that one.) But I still consider this mp3 player a huge part of my life and it provides constant enjoyment while I’m on the slopes, on a bus or plane, or just hanging around the apartment.

5. Panasonic Lumix DMC-Tz1- My newest digital camera. It was definitely a penny pinching buy that I found on Ben’s Bargains for $200.00 with free shipping. I’m extremely satisfied with the performance of the camera. It takes crystal clear pictures and does a great job with close ups. I love being able to document my hobbies with images. A picture truly is worth 1000 words. The only drawback of the camera is that it’s not pocketable. A carrying case is an absolute necessity, which can be a major drawback if you’re an outdoor enthusiast and you want to throw it in your coat for skiing or camping.

So there you have it, my top five. Putting this together was a bit like going through my old bank statements and trying to remember my purchases and whether they were worthwhile. I do consider everything on this list essential. If you had five devices that you couldn’t live without, what would they be?

Photo borrowed from LG