Saskatchewan Literacy Day

On September 8th KCI Spartans participated in Saskatchewan's Literacy Day. Mr.Gareau read "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein over the intercom and students were asked to reflect. I had great pieces of writing, ideas and art work come in and wanted to display for all to see. I came up with a digital book! Check out our digital book below.

What do you like to read?

What do you like to read? I am always looking for the next great book that will hook a student or for myself. I truly believe it only takes one book to change a struggling/reluctant reader. I see many students come into the library because their teacher told them to select a book, but they are hesitant because they say they don't like to read or there are no good books in the library. It is kind of like when you are hungry, you open the fridge that is full of food and say there is nothing to eat. There are too many choices and your brain (or stomach) doesn't know where to start. This is why I believe it is very important to teach students how to select books, be it reading for enjoyment or research for an assignment. To know the purpose of why you are selecting a book is step one when walking into a library. When talking to students who are looking a little lost I always ask "what do you feel like reading?" and I start of by rambling off the different genres/sections we have in the library. Once the student narrows down the genre then we discuss the different sub-genres or topics found in this section. Through conversation the student and I are able to slowly figure out what they feel like reading. Once a book is selected I always ask the students to read the first few pages or chapter to see if they are hooked. The worst thing is signing out a book and getting it back to the classroom for silent reading and they discover they find the book uninteresting and not engaging. For the very reluctant readers I let them (and now you) in on a little secret about myself. I didn't like to read when I was in school either! Crazy right? To think of the teacher-librarian who disliked to read. That is unheard of! We are all suppose to be born with a book in our hands. But it is true and I feel that my own experiences as a child allows me to really understand why these reluctant students don't like to read.

I will give you a little back story to fill you in. Growing up my two younger sisters loved to read (they still do). They would read anything they would pick up and they read them quickly. I on the other hand read the bare minimum and not usually for enjoyment. I always found it hard to get into a book and if I wasn't hooked I struggled to finish the book. I was one of those "how many more pages to the end of the chapter" readers (I would literally count, which makes reading a book you don't enjoy worse and more drawn out). I was like this until my late teens/early twenties when I discovered a genre that I really enjoyed to read. I first discovered this genre by watching the movie first. Eek! You say. I know books are always better than the movie and I can say for a fact these books are better than the movies. Don't get me wrong I do love the movies. The movies/books I am talking about is Harry Potter. I watched the first two movies before I decided to read the first book. I was hooked right away and realized I really enjoyed the magical world J.K. Rowling took me too. After that I now describe myself as a reader. I love to read. I love to discover new series of books and new authors. I started to venture outside of the fantasy genre and discovered dystopian books that I really enjoy to read. I even got a kindle so I could have instant access to books. When you live in a small town you are definitely limited to the books you can get your hands on, which is why it is so important for schools to have well stocked and up-to-date collections, but I digress.

My sisters still bug me today that they find it funny for a former non-reader to become a teacher-librarian. But I think that my experience helps me try and find the best fitting book for any student who walks into the library. I try and encourage students that if their current book doesn't work then we will continue to look until we find something that fits. For example this afternoon one of my grade 7 students told me she just couldn't get into the book she choose. I simply said lets put that back and try and find something you will like better. There is no point in forcing a student to read something they don't like when the whole point of reading for enjoyment is to enjoy what you read. This is where Stephen Krashen's work on "Free Voluntary Reading" comes into play. Students should be encouraged to choose books that they want to read in any format with no strings attached. This means that there is no extra work tied to what a student is reading. Promoting the love of reading is what is important. Now a teacher could check in with a student and start a conversation about the book. This does allow the teacher to check and see if the student is understanding what they are reading, if they are enjoying the book, and really just get a sense of where the student is at. This conversation can also help build the all important rapport we all want to have with our students and what better way than to support or build this relationship with a book!

So let me go back to the beginning of this post. What do you like to read? Do you read for enjoyment? If you answered no, what is the reason behind that no? Is it because you don't have the time or can never find the right book? Don't let these be the reason for you not to pick up a book. Take some time for yourself. It might only be 10 minutes here or there but that 10 minutes is worth it. Enjoy in the silence that comes to you when you have your nose in a book/magazine/newspaper. Take that silence and allow yourself to be swept away into the stories authors have the gift to take us. Allow yourself to become centered in the journey of the author's words. I always find that reading helps me with stress. Books have gotten me through a number of long hours sitting in the hospital at my son's beside. The stories took me away from my reality for minutes or hours. Through each chapter and book I found some silence from the beeping. Books are therapy. Books are hugs. Books are laughter. Books are tears. Books can be anything you need them to be at that moment in time. They could be the friend you need at that moment where you just need to have a good cry or laugh. There are so many things books are and this is why it is so important for me to to help students the best fitting book. I hope that students find the love of reading and realize that books are so much more than paper with typing on it.

So, what do you like to read?

Easter Reading

Easter break is upon us at KCI and we will be enjoying family time for the next week. I am really looking forward to spending time with my sons! I am also looking forward to doing some reading! I visited the book fair that was taking place at my son's school and they had a YA section with buy 1 get 1 free. It was interesting to see a large YA section at this school as it is a K-4 school. Good for me though. I love deals! I picked up 2 books, The Hollow City (the second installment in Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) and The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi. I am currently working on the Culture of Literacy in our school and have been working with the grade 5-8 teachers to build their classroom collections. When purchasing these two titles I was thinking of my own grade 7 students and thought these would be a good addition to my own classroom library. My plan is to first read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (first installment) that I borrowed from the library so I can read the second during the break. This isn't a book I would normally choose (I love fantasy and post apocalyptic books)  but I tell my students to try something new and feel like I should take my own advice. I will let you know what I think through my Twitter and Instagram account with the #kcireads.

Hanging Out With Our New Books!

I'm so excited with the 3 new book displays that went up yesterday! We did a huge order and bought a number of new titles from a variety of genres and formats. I was so excited to bring in all of these titles and to get them out on display. I wanted to do something a little different so I thought why not hang some books from the ceiling. With a little thought and testing I came up with a simple and cheap (who doesn't love when you can make stuff you already have?). Using binder clips and yarn I was able to hang 10 different graphic novels from the ceiling! When the vent is blowing just right the books start to rotate showing off both of their sides.

 I was starting to create this new display while students were hanging out in the library during recess and I could see the excitement building for the books that were being put out. Their eyes lit up when they saw the library now housed the entire collection of Attack on Titans! For a type of book that seemed so foreign to me until I took a Graphic Novels class in my Masters the students at KCI love them. I had never heard of Manga until about a year and a half ago and the junior students love them so much that they are never on the shelves! This is such a great sight to see. The eagerness to get their hands on a book is one of the best feelings as a teacher and teacher-librarian. To know that I have selected titles that they want to read and sometimes fight over is so wonderful.

The next display I focused on was on for the older students in our school. These new titles have themes that include: loss, eating disorders in boys, addiction, single mother etc. I am hoping that by showcasing books with mature content it will entice older students to read. I did a simple display and labelled it "for the more mature reader". I had some funny comments from teachers saying that finally there was books for them because they are very mature;)

Lastly, I displayed the rest of our new books sorting them by genre. These books include mystery, adventure, fantasy, realistic and historical fiction.

Last week I also decided to create an instagram account to share the goings on in the library. (I was told by a grade 10 student that teenagers use instagram more than twitter, so I took the plunge). Today after watching the grade 6 students so excited about the new books that I asked some of them if they wanted to share why they liked the new book they were reading. I shared their thoughts on my instagram feed with the new hashtag #kcireads. I started this hashtag in hopes of helping promote reading at KCI. It is so important to get students on board and hopefully by using a platform they all use I may be able to get them involved. To see the new tweets and instagram posts I share I have placed two feeds on the right side of the blog as an easy way to stay updated on #kcireads. 

Love 2 Read

   It has been a while since I have sat down at the computer and typed out my thoughts for the library. Alas, life gets busy and finding balance between family, teaching grade 7 and being the teacher-librarian is always a struggle.
   I do hope that I will be able to put some time aside every week or two to write a post. There has been a lot happening since my last post that was in October. Personally and professionally I have accomplished something I never thought I would. I finished my last class to complete my Masters in Education in Teacher-librarianship! It was very surreal to submit my last project and know that I am finally done. I was and am very proud of myself that I continued my education. I learned so much through that program, it was some of the best professional development I have ever done. To balance work, family and schooling was hard at times but in the end it was well worth it. Having my sons and my students see me go through school to continue my growth and understanding was an added bonus!
   There has been a number of things that have gone on in the library since my last post. In December I hosted another Book Worm Cafe! I had elves help serve hot chocolate and cookies! It was a blast to have the library hopping with yummy treats and fantastic talent! We had a number of students entertain us with singing and guitar playing. When I watch these talented students I always wish I was born with some musical talent so I could join them.

    After Christmas to ring in the New Year the library purchased a number of new books! I introduced students to the exciting world of manga. I found a great deal on part of the Attack on Titan series and the students ate it up! I loved seeing the excitement these students showed for this new medium of book. The library has never had any manga on the shelves so students were a buzz trying to get the next book in the series. Most students didn't even care about what number in the series they got. They just wanted to read one. There was such interest in this series that we purchased the rest of the series! In the next week or so the full series will be in circulation. To add to this exciting series the library purchased a number of new titles! We are continuing to grow our graphic novel section with titles like: Justice League United, Star Wars The Babysitters Club and Lumberjanes. I previewed the Lumberjanes the other night and I was pleasantly surprise with this series. This series has strong female characters with a mystery and fantasy twist. I really think that students will enjoy reading these books. I am also really excited to introduce the students to Justice League United, written by Canadian author Jeff Lemire! To have students identify with Canadian symbolism and culture will be neat to see, especially our First Nation  students seeing a strong female First Nation hero Equinox a 16 year old Cree girl.
   Along with the graphic novels purchased for the library we also have brought in books that speak of mature issues that include eating disorders, losing a parent from illness, racism and abduction. I am hoping that bringing more titles into the library with this type of content will help bring the older students into the library.
   Another project I am working on is to help create a Culture of Literacy in the school. Upon reflection of how our school prompts literacy I have decided to start with a few projects. Currently I am working with our junior teachers to help support their classroom libraries. We are meeting and discussing what their and their student's needs are. In the next couple of weeks I will be putting together book lists for each classroom and ordering new shelving to help promote books with in the classroom. I can't wait to get these orders down and have the books in the classrooms! The last thing that I have been working on is creating a display at the front entrance of the school. Utilizing a trophy case I have come up with a display (that isn't quiet done, I'm still waiting for a lock so I can display books and photos the senior photography students are taking or other students reading). So far the display has books "coming soon" to the library, a new hashtag for Twitter and Instagram #kcireads, info-graphs showing the importance of reading, a spot for students caught reading and lastly my craftiness coming out. Large wood block letters decoupaged with pages of Shakespearean quotes.The end result of these letters look awesome and can be seen from the end of a very long hallway. I hope this display gets students interested in what is happening in the library and maybe entice students to come visit me in the library.

Education Week

Getting the Right Fit!

Welcome Back Spartans!

What Did You Read This Summer?

Welcome back Spartans! I hope that your summer was spent enjoying the outdoors, hanging out with friends, spending time with your family, maybe working at a summer job, and hopefully finding some time to read a book or two. I thought it would be fun for KCI's staff to let students know what they read this summer. We have a range of readers on staff from avid readers like Ms. McGonigal who has read 142 books since January (WOW!!!) and Mrs. Forsythe who read 15 books just during the summer. Amazing! To the more casual readers who get the chance to read a couple books in their down time.  I sent an email to ask if staff would like to share and I received a great response. I then took the books that each staff member sent me and created a poster for each person. These posters are hanging in the library on the bulletin board and will also be displayed on the monitors in the servery and by gym 1 (thanks Mr. Kitchen). I thought it would be cool to put them on the library blog as well.

 

 

I hope this post gives you some ideas of what your teachers enjoy to read and maybe even a book  or two may catch your eye that you might be interested in. Don't hesitate to ask the teacher who read the book what they thought of it or even sit down to discuss the book. 

 If these books don't interest you take a look at my goodreads book shelf to see books that I have read or would like to read. Also, if you ever have any suggestions of books that you would like to see on the shelves in the library please let me know and I will do my best to get it for you.

Shopping for books!

One of my favorite things is to shop for new books. Myself and Mrs. Tetoff have sat down and with student suggestions will be purchasing new book for the fall for our shelves. We focused on student interest and listening to what you, the students, would like to see in the library. I had a lot of fun looking up new books and hopefully finding new selections that will be of interest for KCI's students. To give you an idea of what we are purchasing, we are expanding our graphic novel collection, updating series that we already have, purchasing more science fiction for those who like Hunger Games, new Orca books and more.

picture taken from http://mcliterature.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/bone/

picture taken from http://ahgooreview.com/2011/10/orca/

One goal for next year is to put the fiction collection into genres like a book store. I feel this will support students when they are looking for a new book. If our books are grouped by genre students all learn what the genres are and they will know where to find books that interest them! I am really excited to change the way we shelve our books. This year our library started to go through a transition to brighten up the space and make the space more enjoyable. I am hoping that our students have enjoyed the different changes they have seen in the library. The changes are not done but we are well on our way.

Book Talks

Currently the grade 5-7 library classes are creating book talks to promote their favourite book. I have done many book talks through out the year to promote the Willows books, books in different genres and new books in the library. The students were asked to pick a book that they have read this year or in years past to share with their classmates. The project is open to students creativity and how they want to present the book of their choice. Some students are making powerpoints, videos, photostories, live action book trailers. Once the presentations are done students will present to their class.
Throughout the year I really noticed a higher interest in books that were specifically talked about compared to others. Students were hooked on new books and new genres once I presented the books to the students. I am really excited to see what the students come up with!

Hmmm, what to read?

Have you ever been stuck when trying to find the next book to read? Do you have a hard time finding a book that interests you? Do you find it hard to find a book that pulls you into the story? There are a few things that you can do to to find the next book.

                                            

  

1. If you have found an author that you enjoy and they have multiple books try another. I find if I like the author's writing style I like all of their books.
2. Find a genre that you like. Once you have found a genre then this helps narrow done what peaks your interests. Genres are themes found in books. For example:

• Fantasy is for people who like magic, vampires, werewolves etc.
• Science fiction is for people who like aliens, robots, futuristic settings, and post apocalyptic themes
• Realistic fiction is for those who enjoy reading about characters and situations that could actually happen
• Historical fiction is based around major events in history. The characters are fictional but the situations have happened like World War 2.
• Mystery is for those who enjoy a good clue or two with some red herrings. Put yourself in the detectives shoes to try and solve the mystery. 
• Graphic novels. These books can be found in any genre with great story lines and amazing illustrations. 
• Non-fiction books. You may enjoy to read about history, sports, countries, science or biographies/autobiographies. Non-fiction is a great part of any library where you can find all the facts you need!

3. If still you are stuck after trying number 1 and 2 there are different websites that help narrow down the search for you.

• Goodreads has a page that recommends books by genre - http://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/fiction
• Conversation Pieces website is made for students - http://www.conversationpieceslearning.org/books-for-students.html
• Amazon, Indigo and Barnes and Noble all have recommendations on their websites.

4. Ask a friend, teacher, or family member. Sometimes the best recommendations come from people you know. Ask what your friends are reading. More than likely you will like the same type of books.

Have you Read a Good Movie Lately?

Check our the new book display at the KCI library Spartans! All the books that are on display have been adapted into a movie. Did you know that approximately 85% of all movies are based on books? Wow!
Do you think that reading the book is better than watching the movie? I do, books always have so much more detail and it allows you to really immerse yourself in the story.
Some of the books on display are:

• Harry Potter series
• Wizard of Oz
• The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
• Lord of the Rings 
• The Hobbit
• Treasure Island
• 20000 Leagues Under the Sea
• Twilight series
• The Host
• Percy Jackson
• Aquamarine
• The Spiderwick Chronicles
• Tom Sawyer
• Tex

and many more.

Check out a picture of the display.

Art Gallery

The KCI library has seen a few changes and updates to how it looks. This year the teacher resources have been rearranged, the reference section has been weeded and moved completely to the back of the library and the library has a new art gallery! Students work is being displayed from grades 5-12. The new art gallery has helped brighten up the space and is a focal point in the library. Along with the art gallery the first semester senior art students created double sided shelf plaques that display where each section of our collection can be found. Hopefully by the end of the year the library will also have a new 4x8 mural hanging on the wall! It has been so great working with the art students and the art teacher with these projects.

Welcome to Spartans @ The Library Blog

Welcome to KCI library's new blog. My name is Mrs. J. Gareau and I am the teacher-librarian at the school. I am very excited to have this blog up and running. I will be promoting library events, doing book talks etc. here on this blog.