Book Character Pumpkin Decorating

Wordless Wednesday

What Are You Reading?

I just finished Career Of Evil: A Cormoran Strike Novel by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling). I love this series! It's such a change from Harry Potter, which I love too. 

I had a hard time getting into this book at first. I think it was that there was a lot of set up. But once the story got going I really like it. Which it weird to say since it's about murder and hacking up women. I like the tension between Cormoran and his partner Robin. The build up to their relationship is still alive and well in this book. 

We are introduced to a new character who added some... comic relief, for a lack of a better term. He's a colorful guy with an upbringing so different from mine. 

The book abruptly ended. Ended out of nowhere! I threw my hands in the air and yell "What?!? That can't be the end!"  Seriously. I'm going to have to wait a year to find out what happens! Ah well, it gives me something to look forward too. 

I just finished listening to Gone With the Wind. I borrowed the audiobook from One Digital Click.  It's taken me a little longer to listen to it than I thought it would. In the middle of listening to it my borrowing time ran up. When I went to check it out again someone else had already borrowed it. So I put it on hold and waited two weeks before I could get it again. I know I said this before but I really am surprised at how much I've enjoyed this book. I can't wait to watch the movie. I've been told the love of Scarlett comes from the movie not the book. Because boy! Scarlett isn't terribly lovable in the book. 

Again with the abrupt endings! I really thought there was something wrong with my audiobook. I can't believe it ends the way it ends. We follow Scarlett for too long for there not to be a proper ending. Ugh! All that aside it did enjoy her and her journey. 

I started Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone picture book. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I'm afraid it's going to take me longer to read it since I'm studying the pictures. Staring at them for long periods of time. There's never anything wrong with spending a little extra time in the wizarding world!

What are you reading? Anything I need to add to my "To Read" list?

39th Birthday

My 39th birthday was Monday. I LOVE birthdays. Age doesn't bother me. My grandma says age doesn't bother her either but she said 80 was a bit shocking. Ha!

Saturday some of my girlfriends and I went to dinner and Starbucks. We broke the picnic table at Starbucks. I'm going with the wood was rotten!

Monday morning I HAD to open my presents before work! A Vera Bradley purse from Jay and a # from Reagan (I love Twitter!). 

Another year older and wiser....

Long Week

It's been a long week but not necessarily bad. We've had a gospel meeting at church this week, Sunday through Thursday. 

Somehow I made dinner every night, posted a blog everyday and finished a book. I'm not really sure how all that happened! Ha!

I'm glad it's Friday though. Glad to be in my house with my family on the couch just chillin'. 

Saturday we are going to go visit some elderly people from church. I'll also be celebrating my 39th birthday with my friends. Dinner & Starbucks. Nothing fancy but lots of fun!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Twilight: Life And Death

I am a huge Twilight fan! I reread the books once a year. I still keep our family vacation pictures from Forks on my phone. My home screen is always a picture of me in Forks. 

Twilight: Life and Death snuck up on me. I knew nothing about it until the day it was published. I felt like a horrible fan!  I did miss the build up, the waiting, the suspense. But it was a nice surprise. 

I've mentioned before that I prefer eBook so I bought the eBook. But... there are some books (mostly series) that I do like seeing on my bookshelf so... I bought the physical book too! Ha! It does make a nice addition to my Twilight shelf. 

Minor spoilers follow:

I had a hard time getting into Beau's head. It felt, well, weird. Most of Bella's thoughts didn't transfer well to a boy. It was also strange to have the other characters roles reverse so literally. 

I did like some of the minor changes Meyer made to the story. Some of the scenes flowed better. Some made a bit more sense. I think it shows her growth as a writer (here I am talking about Meyer, a multi-millionaire, growing as a writer. We all grow in our profession, right? That's what I'm telling myself as I write this nonsense.). 

Overall I did like the book. It was nice to be in the Twilight world again. But I really wished she had finished Midnight Sun. Like, really really really, on my knees begging, wish she had finished Midnight Sun. Maybe for the 20th anniversary.... One can only hope!

Graphic Novels: Salem Hyde

This week I read The Misadventures of Salem Hype 1 Spelling Trouble by Frank Cammuso.  It's a Texas Bluebonnet Nominee for 2015-2016.   This book list is good for 3rd-6th grade.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       I read this book for 3 reasons. 1) It's on the Bluebonnet list and I try to read all the books on the lists because I ask my 3rd-5th graders too. 2) It fits #GNCelebration and 3) The librarians in the district are trying to get Cammuso to come to our district and do an author visit. 

Salem is a young witch whose parents are non-magical people. Salem's school is having a spelling bee. She gets a little confused thinking that a spelling bee is about casting spells not spelling words. She also gets a companion pet that she doesn't really want. They get into all kinds of trouble together. 

This is a super cute book to read. I can't wait to read it to my students. 

Keep your fingers crossed that we can get Cammuso to come to our district!

Cooties Alive and Well

Cooties is a disease that has been around for ages. It runs ramped in elementary schools. It's a fatal disease that can ruin friendships. It can cause people to run from you in disgusted. 

It is highly contagious. Cooties can be spread instantly by touch. Once you have cooties you can immediately spread it to others. 

There is no visible sign of cooties. But oddly an average student can detect it in another student. Usually the detecting student points and hollers "Ew! You have the cooties!" Thus causing other uninflected students to scramble away from the diseased. 

There is one known cure. It's called the cootie shot. The shot can be given by anyone. One can even give it to ones self. It's best when done on the forarm but any body part will do. It's quite simple. 

1. Take your index finger, place it on the forearm of the opposite arm

2. Make two circles

3. Make two dot

4. While doing steps 2 & 3 say the following:

"Circle, circle, dot, dot now I have my cootie shot." 

5. Sticking your tongue out at the person saying you have cooties adds to the strength of the shot and is highly recommended. 

Administer the shot as need. Typically once a day is safe. It's also better to have a witness. The shot is not addicting and cannot be used too much. 

Yes folks, cooties is alive and well!

Original Ideas

Do you ever feel like you don't ever have an original idea? I've been feeling that way for a while. 

I feel like all I do is steal ideas. From Pinterest. From other district librarians. From other library blogs. From Twitter. But that's what those are for, right? For sharing and stealing ideas?

But sometimes I'd like to be able to say "Yeap, that was my idea." 

In reality though does it really matter if it was my idea to start with? As long as what I'm executing is good for my students and my teachers who cares for the idea came from? 

And don't we all put our own spin on ideas even if we get them from somewhere else?

Pumpkin Book Character Decorating Contest

I'm trying something new this October, Pumpkin Book Character Decorating Contest.  I got the idea from one of the other elementary librarians in the district.  PTO is asking parents to donate one pumpkin per homeroom.

Since this year teachers do not come to the library with their students it's been hard to communicate with them what's happening in the library and get their support.  I've tried emailing but then I'm told that I send to many emails.  I've tried word of mouth but someone always gets left out.  So I decided to make a simple Canva and email it and post it in the faculty bathrooms and over the copiers.  I'm hoping this will reach everyone.

How do you inform your busy teachers?

Pumpkin Patch Express

Both sides of the family went on the Pumpkin Patch Express in Rusk this past weekend. We had so much fun riding the training, doing a corn maze, picking a pumpkin and playing games. 

Here's my photo dump. Happy Halloween!

Graphic Novels: Mr. Ball An Egg-cellent Adventure

I missed the first Graphic Novels blog. The first Thursday of October snuck up on me! But I'm in the October groove now! This week I read Mr. Ball An Egg-cellent Adventure (Mr. Ball #2) by Michael Townsend.

Mr. Ball An Egg-cellent Adventure! is a super silly, entertaining early reader. It's perfect for those students who need to read longer books before jumping into a text heavy chapter book. 

It's a series. I love series! If you can hook a student on one book in a series then they'll want to read them all!

Mr. Ball goes to a circus that seems pretty lame. But then! They bring out the big, wild, scary animals. Mr. Ball is impressed! He wants to start his own big, wild and scary circus. Unfortunately his personality isn't right for that kind of circus. His shenanigans end up putting him in a giant fire-breathing tweety blob's nest with no way down. Luckily he has some fast thinking friends who save him from hitting the ground and becoming a deflated ball. After that Mr. Ball thinks it safer to dress up his pet, Ms. Kitty Cow as a lion and tame her. 

First Grade Dropout

I've been reading First Grade Dropout by Audrey Vernick to Pre-K through 2nd grade. It is an adorable book about a first grader who does something embarrassing causing his entire class, even his best friend, to laugh at him. He's so embarrassed that he decides to dropout of school. 

It's a fun book to read aloud. It lends itself to fun voices (loud, whispering, embarrassment, etc) and hand jesters. I've had as much reading it aloud as the students have had listening to it!

After reading I asked two questions. 

1) Has anything embarrassing ever happened to you?

2) What kind of job could you get if you dropped out of first grade?

A Pre-K student said "You could be a firefighter!"

Me: But you have to be able to read to be a firefighter and if you drop out of first grade you won't be able to read good enough to be a firefighter. 

Pre-K: I didn't know that! Firefighter have to read?!

These kiddos crack me up!!!

Graphic Novel: Fable Comics

This week's graphic novel is Fable Comics edited by Chris Duffy.  Duffy takes some of Aesop's most beloved tales and had graphic storytellers retell them.  This is a great new addition to the Nursery Rhyme Comic and Fairy Tale Comics series.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      There are 28 fables from different cultures and traditions.  Each one beautifully illustrated.  The graphics add so much to the tales. They are detailed and bring the fables to life.  My favorites were Leopard Drums up Dinner by Sophie Goldstein and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.                                                                                                                                                 This graphic novel will be loved by upper elementary students.  They will love the different artists and styles while also learning a moral.

I can't wait to share this book with my teachers when they do their fable unit.  I might even be able to convert some of those graphic novel haters with this book!

Soul Healing Weekend

I had a soul heeling weekend! My BFF, Emily and I went to the Sisters Inspiring Sisters Bible Conference this pass Saturday. I took Friday off to drive to Houston, eat lunch with my daddy at Jus' Mac, see my grandparents, run some errands, pick up Emily and head to Columbus, TX where we stayed in a hotel. 

Emily had a "photo booth" set up in her living room. Her middle son took our picture. He mostly took pictures before we were actually ready but he did get one good one. Ha!

After dinner Friday we ate What's Poppin' Popcorn and Nothing Bundt Cake in the hotel. So. Yummy. 

Saturday my alarm did NOT wake me up so we were about 30 minutes behind schedule. We got ready fast and made it to Weimar in time for the conference. We had about 20 minutes to spare. 

The four women speakers were great! The main topic was patience. Which I need a ton more of! (Is that a grammatically correct sentence?)

One of my favorite quotes is "When we are not in control of our circumstance we easily loose patience."  I have felt that way about the last seven years of my life and that quote really hit home!

Sunday my parents and I went to my grandparent's church to see them one more time before I head back to Nac. We ate at Jus' Mac... again. 

Meanwhile back in Nac Jay paint our bench my favorite color, PURPLE!