April 30, 2011
Spreading the Love!
I wrote a review for Sparrow Road and it has been shared on the Class of 2K11 blog! I am thrilled that I was able to support Sheila O'Connor! I can't wait for the release date on May 12! It's like a baby being born!
Wimpy Kid on the Brain
My 3 year old, Leah is obsessed with The Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. I had never watched the movie- I have a strict "The book is better, don't watch the movie" policy. But, we had free HBO for the week and the movie was on- so I recorded it on DVR. Leah and Kiley watched it And watched it. And watched it every night for the next week. Leah quotes the movie and insists that we call her Greg Heffley. We had to go to the store and get her a Wimpy Kid tshirt, which she wore to school for 3 days in a row before I got it off of her and into the washer. Then, in Barnes and Noble, she saw the Wimpy Kid action figure, which I had to buy and she proceeded to sleep with that night. Last night we went to Rodrick Rules as a family, and to Leah, it was a good as going to Disney World. She laughed so loud and at all the right places. I think she even said "Holy cow!" a few times. I don't know if Jeff Kinney intended for his movie to reach the 3 year old audience, but it has. When I told her that there could be 2 more movies, she hugged me and said "You're the best mom EVER!". Thank you Jeff Kinney for helping me achieve stardom with my 3 year old. I am now in search of a Loded Diper band tshirt and may start my own Rodrick Heffley Fan Club.
April 27, 2011
Things With Wings
Of all the emails I get regarding this blog, the most asked question is:
"Did you design the header of your blog?"
Oh, I wish I were talented enough to create this work of art! The banner of this blog is actually a photo I took of the sign that hangs in The Lemme Library.
 |
| The day of delivery,,, August 2010 |
The sign was custom made by Things With Wings. Jill Brown is one of the amazing artists and just happens to be the mother of 2 Lemme Leopards! (Sam & Will!) Stop by their website or Facebook Page and look around!
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| The girls from Things With Wings! Jill is in the blue shirt! |
Since our sign was placed in the library, 2 other ICCSD libraries have ordered signs for their spaces:
April 25, 2011
Book Talk Tuesday
I have been searching the web for a great place to post book reviews for librarians and teachers to use in the classroom. Well, I am going to try hosting my own Book Talk Tuesday! I invite teachers, moms, dads and librarians to link to a recent book talk or book review that can be used by others.
My rules?
1. All content must be appropriate for children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade.
2. Websites that you link to must be child friendly since lots of kids visit this site and if they click on your link, I want it to be appropriate for them.
3. Positive reviews only, please... we only spread love here at The Lemme Library!
4. Books must be available in The US. (you are welcome to link to ARC reviews)
5. I reserve the right to remove any reviews that don't meet criteria 1-4.
In the link title field, be sure to include the title of the book you are reviewing and your site name. In the URL field, please link to this specific post that contains the book review (That way people don't have to scour your blog looking for it!)
I'd love it if you would leave a comment telling me about yourself! You are welcome to grab the Book Talk Tuesday graphic to use it on your blog.
April 19, 2011
Smart Board Resources
My new Smart Board will be installed this week and I hope I can put the smart in smart board and not make it a duh board! This is new territory for me and I am nervous yet excited! This post is a place to link to websites dedicated to Smart Board ideas. Please leave any of your favorite links in the comment field- or let me know how YOU use yours!
This site contains the most incredible collection of research-based, interactive, Physics simulations anywhere on the Internet. Best of all, these simulations are free to use online or download to your computer.They are a must-have for teachers with Interactive Whiteboards in the classroom.
SMART Exchange is a one-stop destination designed to provide teachers with access to all of SMART's learning resources and the opportunity to connect with colleagues in a professional community. Custom-designed searches save time by delivering relevant results and a full visual preview of all SMART Notebook files, so teachers can easily evaluate a lesson before downloading it.
This one is made for me- it has trouble shooting and set up tutorials!
Lesson activities and resources powered by SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software
April 18, 2011
Book Talk Tuesday
I have been searching the web for a great place to post book reviews for librarians and teachers to use in the classroom. Well, I am going to try hosting my own Book Talk Tuesday! I invite teachers, moms, dads and librarians to link to a recent book talk or book review that can be used by others.
My rules?
1. All content must be appropriate for children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade.
2. Websites that you link to must be child friendly since lots of kids visit this site and if they click on your link, I want it to be appropriate for them.
3. Positive reviews only, please... we only spread love here at The Lemme Library!
4. Books must be available in The US. (you are welcome to link to ARC reviews)
5. I reserve the right to remove any reviews that don't meet criteria 1-4.
In the link title field, be sure to include the title of the book you are reviewing and your site name. In the URL field, please link to this specific post that contains the book review (That way people don't have to scour your blog looking for it!)
I'd love it if you would leave a comment telling me about yourself! You are welcome to grab the Book Talk Tuesday graphic to use it on your blog.
I am trying Mister Link this week, Simply Linked wasn't showing my old lists. If you have a suggestion for a widget, please let me know!
April 12, 2011
Book Talk: Sparrow Road
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Sparrow Road from the author, Sheila O'Connor. This book will be available in The Lemme Library after it is released in May... trust me, it will be worth the wait.
I don't want to give away the secrets of Sparrow Road, I want you to discover those for yourself, but I will give you my spoiler free book talk!
Raine is upset that she will be leaving Milwaukee (and Grandpa Mac) for the entire summer. She and her mother have lived with Grandpa Mac her entire life and she can't imagine being so far away from him. Raine does have a father, everyone does, but she knows nothing about hers. It has just been Raine, mama and Grandpa Mac for as long as she can remember.
Raine is even more upset that her mama has taken a job as a maid and cook for a group of artists in a town she has never heard of. Raine thinks that mama has good a job in Milwaukee, and there is no reason to leave... no reason that Raine knows of at least. Why leave a good thing for something unknown and so far away?
When Raine and mama arrive at their destination, Sparrow Road, they are greeted by a cranky, quiet man by the name of Viktor. Viktor doesn't talk much, just enough to tell Raine the rules: no talking, no tv, no phone, no radio until after 5 PM each day, except on Sunday, Sunday you may do all of those things. Do not bother the artists and do not go in their sheds. They come here for peace and quiet. Raine is shocked at all of these rules- mama never mentioned RULES. Raine is full of questions that nobody will answer. Mama tells her that not everything is a mystery. But it seems that mama is part of the mystery when she disappears once a week with Viktor. She says she is going into town to buy groceries- but Raine knows better.
While mama is off on one of her mystery trips, she has a chance to meet the artists of Sparrow Road, and discovers that her summer might not turn out to be as miserable as she imagined. The artists welcome Raine with open arms, and encourage her to find the writer inside her. One artist in particular, encourages Raine to take all of her questions and write them down. Diego tells her that once she writes down her questions, she will find her story, and her answers. Raine has plenty of questions to write in her sketchbook, like:
Where is mama going each week with Viktor?
Why is Viktor "The Iceberg" so mean?
Why won't mama let me go into town without her?
While at Sparrow Road, Raine also meets Josie- a free spirited artist with rainbow hair and crazy clothes. Josie tells Raine the history of Sparrow Road- that it was used as an orphanage for children whose parents couldn't care for them. At one time, Sparrow Road was full of children waiting for someone they have been missing to come and take them home. When Raine sees the attic where the orphans lived, her head swims with even more questions. Who were these orphans? Where are they now? Was Viktor an orphan too? What did it feel like to be an orphan? That last question resonates with Raine more than she expected it to- she knows what it is like to wait for someone she has been missing... her father.
You can read Ms. O'Connor starred review from Kirkus here, but it does tell the secrets... read with caution.
April 11, 2011
Book Talk Tuesday
I have been searching the web for a great place to post book reviews for librarians and teachers to use in the classroom. Well, I am going to try hosting my own Book Talk Tuesday! I invite teachers, moms, dads and librarians to link to a recent book talk or book review that can be used by others.
My rules?
1. All content must be appropriate for children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade.
2. Websites that you link to must be child friendly since lots of kids visit this site and if they click on your link, I want it to be appropriate for them.
3. Positive reviews only, please... we only spread love here at The Lemme Library!
4. Books must be available in The US. (you are welcome to link to ARC reviews)
5. I reserve the right to remove any reviews that don't meet criteria 1-4.
In the link title field, be sure to include the title of the book you are reviewing and your site name. In the URL field, please link to this specific post that contains the book review (That way people don't have to scour your blog looking for it!)
I'd love it if you would leave a comment telling me about yourself! You are welcome to grab the Book Talk Tuesday graphic to use it on your blog.
I am trying Mister Link this week, Simply Linked wasn't showing my old lists. If you have a suggestion for a widget, please let me know!
April 8, 2011
That's Good... That's Bad!
The librarian in me sees this video and says "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" But the kid in me says "YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!" What do you think? Should we do this in the Lemme Library? (Will you put all the books back on the shelf- in the correct order?)
April 7, 2011
April 6, 2011
Team Harvey or Team Dwight??
Only 4 more months until Darth Paper come out! Ohhhh..... I can't wait! I read this on Twitter today: 
I clicked on the link so fast that I think I sprained my thumb!
From Tom:
"Just one drawing to go! Having trouble with Rhondella…. she’s the hardest to draw!
Here’s a picture that may or may not end up in the book. But it works sort of like a teaser trailer, so I thought I’d post it here for you…"
Cahills vs Vespers
So..... What are you doing on August 30? Well, I bet SOME of you will be at the bookstore buying the first book in the new 39 Clues series!
From The 39 Clues website:
Are you ready to save the world?
Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, thought they belonged to the world's most powerful family. They thought the hunt for 39 Clues leading to the source of that power was over. They even thought they'd won. But they were wrong. A powerful new enemy, the Vespers, has emerged from the shadows, sending Dan and Amy on a dangerous journey that will take them from Rome to the ancient city of Timbuktu. If Dan and Amy don't stop the Vespers in time . . . the whole world will pay.
*Thanks to my peeps at Kidsmomo for the heads up on this announcement!
U Can't Touch This
I spent 2 hours downstairs at Prairie Lights on Monday and left with $840 worth of new books. The kids and teachers can sense new books and seemed to gravitate to me as I sat and processed them today. I was nervous about leaving all of those tempting morsels out for all to see, so I put this sign on them:
The kids and teachers thought it was pretty funny, but I did have to explain The Hammer Dance... and his pants. To make things easier, I give you this video:
Step Right Up!!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages...Your ticket to great books is at the Lemme Book Fair, coming to the Lemme Library next week! April 12-14 the book fair will be open:
Tuesday-Thursday before school, lunch time and after school
Thursday night 5:30-7:30 during LEO Pizza Night
Come and find something great to read! All proceeds go to The Lemme PTA!
If you can't attend the book fair, you can order online, or share this link with relatives and they can shop too! All online sales will go to The Lemme PTA.
The link to order on line is: www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs
All orders will be shipped to Lemme divided by teacher and student at the
close of the online fair April 21.
The site will instruct you to enter your town and school name and will then open directly to the Lemme on line fair. It will be available from April 8 -
April 21. A letter will be going home to families about it this Friday.
All orders will be shipped to Lemme divided by teacher and student at the
close of the online fair April 21.
The site will instruct you to enter your town and school name and will then open directly to the Lemme on line fair. It will be available from April 8 -
April 21. A letter will be going home to families about it this Friday.
Did you know that Lemme teachers have wish lists at the book fair? They do! You can buy a book and donate it to your child's classroom!
April 5, 2011
Typing Games
This is a groovy little typing game from the BBC! It's like being at a typing rave! This is a full scale typing program that starts with home row keys and works through a series of lessons.
In this typing game, you are a cute little spider who must escape predators in the jungle. You have to type accurately if you want to escape!
Do you have what it takes to be a great chef? You move up from dish washer to 4 star chef as you practice your touch typing.
Type Type Revolution
Like Dance Dance Revolution, you have to type the correct keys to the beat. If you don't miss, you get a combo and that is worth lots of points. This game is hard- even for me!
KeyMan
This PacMan game is controlled by correct typing.
Typing Adventure
Type quickly and accurately to get the explorer safely through the traps and to the treasures... a little like Indiana Jones!
Like Space Invaders from my day on the Atari, you have to type to destroy rows of alien invaders. This one gave me a good challenge!
April 4, 2011
Book Talk Tuesday
The link list isn't showing up, so I pasted the links into the post. Let me know if the link list isn't showing for you.
Week Three of Book Talk Tuesday is here! Be sure to spread the word to any kid lit lovers!
Week Three of Book Talk Tuesday is here! Be sure to spread the word to any kid lit lovers!
My rules?
1. All content must be appropriate for children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade.
2. Websites that you link to must be child friendly since lots of kids visit this site and if they click on your link, I want it to be appropriate for them.
3. Positive reviews only, please... we only spread love here at The Lemme Library!
4. Books must be available in The US. (you are welcome to link to ARC reviews)
4. Books must be available in The US. (you are welcome to link to ARC reviews)
5. I reserve the right to remove any reviews that don't meet criteria 1-4.
In the link title field, be sure to include the title of the book you are reviewing and your site name. In the URL field, please link to this specific post that contains the book review (That way people don't have to scour your blog looking for it!)
I'd love it if you would leave a comment telling me about yourself! You are welcome to grab the Book Talk Tuesday graphic to use it on your blog.
I'd love it if you would leave a comment telling me about yourself! You are welcome to grab the Book Talk Tuesday graphic to use it on your blog.
April 3, 2011
Book Talk: Bless This Mouse
When I hear the name Lois Lowry, I think of futuristic, dystopian societies and one of my all time favorite books The Giver. So, when I saw the cover of her newest book Bless This Mouse, I was shocked, disappointed and excited all at the same time. I kept the book on my "to read" pile for 2 weeks. But tonight, I sat down and read it in 2 hours. A-Dor-A-Ble! This was a very sweet book. In a time when most of the books the fly off the shelves are about fighting and killing and vampires and wimpy kids, this book was a breath of fresh air for me. My only concern is that it will be hard to get this book out to a wide audience because it is so sweet.
Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry (F LOW) is the story of 220 church mice. The mice live secretly and safely in the church, keeping to themselves and avoiding humans. Hildegarde is the Mouse Mistress, the leader of the mice. She is a very serious and keeps the mice in line- she doesn't tolerate in nonsense. The mice population is beginning to grow, and this is worrisome to Hildegarde. She knows that fall is a very bad time to be a church mouse. In September, the church celebrates The Feast of Saint Francis and the Blessing of The Animals. All of the parishioners are invited to bring their pets to the church for a blessing. This is very dangerous for the mice because the children bring their cats to be blessed. The blessing of the animals in safe when held Outdoors, but if it rains, the Blessing of the Animals is held in the church. In the past, many mice have been list to the jaws of cats that have gotten loose. Hildegarde is concerned that the large number of mice babies will draw the attention the people and their pets- baby mice are hard to control and adolescent mice never listen to their parents.
To make matters worse, the mice have grown a bit careless. They have been taking shortcuts and risks that they usually don't take. Several parishioners have seen mice in the church, but when mischief of baby mice are spotted in the ladies room, the priest, Father Murphy decides to call The Great X (the exterminator). Hildegarde is faced with the terrible task of saving the entire mouse population. She leads them on a mass exodus from the church to the graveyard to wait out the exterminator.
She discovers that the situation in the church has become very dangerous. The exterminator has left behind rodent poison and glue traps. Glue traps lead to a terrible death when the mouse steps on the glue and gets stuck, left to starve or suffocate. Hildegarde hatches an ingenious plan to save the mice from the traps... but the plan is very dangerous. Will the mice be able to return to the church? Will the cats devour more mice during The Blessing of the Animals? Hmmm.... I''ll never tell!
This book is a quick read, and would make a wonderful bedtime read aloud for kids K-3. You could easily pair this book with The Tale of Desperaux. I felt like I got to know the characters of the book and grew to love each of them (even Lucretia, by the end). Bless This Mouse is a sweet little story that packs a big punch. I struggled with all of the "church words", like Narthex, Sacristy chasuble, and I think kids will too. At first glance, it may look like a great early reader chapter book, but it has hard vocabulary that would prove difficult for a third grade: audaciously, undercroft, haphazard, translucent and admonished. Also, Hildegarde discuss the proliferate reproductive lives that mice have, which may cause questions in young children.
April 2, 2011
Baby Eagles- OH MY!
I was afraid I would miss the hatching of the first baby eagle! I did! It took all day, but at around 2:30 this morning, the first eaglet hatched. If you missed it too- you can watch the highlights on Youtube! This is like reality tv for smart people! If you have enjoyed the Eagle Cam, you might consider making a donation to the Raptor Resource Center- I will be!
April 1, 2011
What an End to the Week!
Our jobs and our lives may get crazy, and get we may caught up in the little things in life, but then we look up and see a something that makes us smile and lets us know that what we do makes a difference...
Books are Dangerous
At the Lemme Library, we have banned reading. I discovered after reading (ironically) an extensive study that reading is dangerous.
Reading can open your mind to new ideas and opinions. Reading can expose you to different cultures, beliefs and worlds. It has also been discovered that reading can make you smarter- yes, smarter.
If you read, you might do well in school. And, if you do well in school, you may go to college, where you will be forced to read and then you will get a good job.
I have learned from my own experience that reading to children can be particularly dangerous. Reading has been known to make children think... and laugh... and wonder. All of this, left to untrained professionals can lead to very volatile situations. Happy, productive, imaginative and creative children? That is why I have decided to do away with books in the Lemme Library.
From now on, I will offer Redbox video rentals and video game rental.
It is important that we all stand together on this issue. You should probably stop reading this blog post and watch tv. Or nap.
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