Singing the end of the year blues...

...aren't you?  :)

The school year is winding down!  We have *runs off to count* 12 days left before summer vacation.  (Technically you as students have 11 days left because one of those is a study day but since all of your teachers will be here working and you're suppose to be at home studying, I counted it.)

End of the year in the library is a busy time.  One of the tasks we do before we leave for summer vacation is INVENTORY.  It's a big word for a big project.  Basically we scan every single item in the library and then cross check it with the computer.  Then we find out what items are lost, what items we thought were lost but were actually on the other side of the library and are now found, and what items are out of order.

The first step in this process is making sure we have all of the books back in the library.  SO!

Please return all of your library materials (books, magazines, dvds, vhs tapes, etc.) by this Friday, May 24th.

But what about during final exams?  You ask.  Never fear!  During finals week, you may come and check out a book for the day.  Just make sure you return it when you're done with exams that day.

Notices will go up on your lockers reminding you of what you still have out.  If you've lost it, there's a price next to the title and you can either bring me the money to replace it OR you can go out and buy a replacement copy.

Thanks for all of your help, it's been a super fun year!

~Mrs. Julsonnet

Children's Choice Winners

I forgot to post the winners of the 2013 Children's Choice Book Awards!

So here we go *cue drum roll*

In the 6th grade category the winner is...

Rachel Renée Russell's Dork Diaries 4: Tales From a Not So Grateful Ice Princess


In the 7-12th grade category the winner is...

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars


Thank you to everyone who voted!

Children's Choice Book Awards - VOTE NOW!

Don't forget!  Vote for your favorite book in the 2013 Children's Choice Book Awards!

Nominations are due Friday so stop by the library to cast your ballot.

Here are the nominees for the 6th grade category...

And the nominees in the 7th - 12th grade category...

New books in the library!

This is our last installment of new books for the year! 

I'm excited to read Stolen Magic by Stephanie Burgis, though rumor is this is the last in the Kat series which makes me sad.  I think weirdest (and possibly creepiest) premise goes to Lenny Cyrus School Virus.  Boys, if there is a girl you are interested in, I don't recommend you shrink yourself and get injected into her body in order to convince her to like you from the inside out.

And with Prom this Saturday, that is very timely advice!

Thinking outside the box (or pre-laminated words)

A little ingenuity with a marker and some hard work and we have quite a few completed poems!  Nice job, Darby S. and Helen C.

E-Text Books Used for Gathering Information

How many of you have crammed for a quiz or test the night before, memorizing all of the information you need to pass and then aced the test?

How many of you remember that information a month later?  If you're like me, the odds are that you will have forgotten most of that crammed information.

I was thinking about this while reading an article recently published in the New York Times about the use of e-text books in universities.  Professors are tracking how often students open the book, take notes, highlight key information and how long they spend reading or 'engaged' with the material.

It may seem a little controlling and perhaps 'Big Brother' but what I find interesting is that they are able to really notice if the students are learning the information or just cramming.

How important is that difference?  What do you guys think?  Especially the 9th graders here, who all have iPads, how do you feel about teachers tracking your study habits?  Do you think teaching and fostering good study skills is something important that should be added to our educational process?  Or should teachers stand back and let students sink or swim?

As an adult and a teacher, I like the idea.  We’re always looking for ways to touch base with our students, to check in with them and confirm that they really get the information. (Why do you think we give pop quizzes? It’s not to torment you, I promise.)  If I can see that you’re not doing well on the tests but you seem to do fine in class, I know there’s a problem somewhere and this could be a crucial tool for diagnosing that. 

I broached this question to the current 8^th grade Information Literacy class and was interested in their reaction.  They had mixed feelings on tracking student study activity.  At first they were flat against the idea.  They saw it as a huge invasion of privacy.  However, after further discussion (and a rambling tangent about how mobile devices work and several suggestions on how someone could trick the system) they started to open up more to the idea.

What I found most interesting was that they strongly disagreed with the idea of using it in the later grades, 11^th grade and up and even in college.  “When you get to college you’re in charge of yourself.  I don’t think professors should be looking at how long you studied or what you highlighted.  Everyone studies differently.”

However, they all agreed that it could be a helpful tool in the middle school.  “It’s learning study habits, right?”  One student put forward, “Middle school is the time when we learn how to do stuff, take notes and study for a test.”  There was a lot of nodding but then someone added, “But I wouldn’t want a teacher holding the information against us.”

“Yeah. They have to use the power for good.”

Which pretty much summed up the class discussion and we moved onto learning how to write a MLA database citation.

So what are your thoughts?  Go ahead and read the article and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Teacher Knows If You've Done the E-Reading

Mad poetry skills

Here are some more poems (or what I'm going to call poems) from the poetry door.

I particularly like the addition of 'Skrillex' as that is not one that was in the pile.  I admire the person's initiative for typing it up and adding it!

I find this one particularly appropriate for a school!

Do books find words or do words find books?  Hmmmm...

Either a work in progress or I have an infestation in the library

Confession: I had to ask what Skrillex is.  Quite a provocative poem when you know the context!

This one hits close to home since summer seems so far away.  It was 23 degrees outside Thursday morning.

Poetry Month is off to a thoughtful start!

Stop by and try your hand at Closet Door Poetry.  Prizes to be awarded for various categories!

New books for April (IN MARCH)

Typically I put the new books out at the beginning of every month, however since we're leaving for our four-day Easter break on Thursday, March 28th and I thought you all might like to have some awesome new reading for the weekend...

...I'm putting them out early.

There are a whopping WHOPPING ninety-seven new titles this month.  Yes, you read that right, ninety-seven.  Well, technically there are ninety-six books and one dvd.

So here we go!

Coming Soon!

Here's a teaser for an awesome new book coming to our library April 1st.  (And no, it's not an April Fools joke).

 
Jennifer Nielsen does it again!  You all know how much I loved The False Prince, (I believe the words, "If I can't be Sage then I want to be his best friend" crossed my lips) and the second book in the trilogy is just as good.

Middle books in a trilogy can be tricky.  Sometimes they fall flat, seeming to be just a stopping point in order for the author to get to the climatic good stuff in the final conclusion.  However, one thing I've always been impressed with by Nielsen is her ability to tell a rousing good story, despite it being part of a larger arc.  Did I finish this wishing to read more about Sage and his adventures?  Yes!  Did I finish this exasperated because it left everything hanging and was just a marker before the next book?  No!

In The Runaway King, Sage is once again fighting for his life and his kingdom.  If you all thought the ending of The False Prince would lead to sunshine and roses you were very much mistaken.  None of his advisers or fellow countryman seem to trust Sage very much, which makes getting things done... challenging.  And with pirates and enemy forces looming, Sage must make a decision.  Does saving his country meaning giving up everything he's worked so hard to achieve?  Friends?  Country?  Freedom?

You'll just have to read it to find out! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Not only is it Valentine's Day BUT it's the eve of a four-day weekend for all of you!

If you're in the mood for a little romance and fluff, stop by the library and check out something for the break.

Here are some titles that Mrs. Julsonnet recommends!

Since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move - four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, Mclean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, Mclean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself - whoever that is. Perhaps her neighbor Dave, an academic superstar trying to be just a regular guy, can help her find out.

Anna, a young Russian countess forced to flee to England during the Russian Revolution, conceals her past in order to gain a much-needed job as a maid in the Westerholme household.

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission.

And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi , she's a terrible singer. Instead she's the set designer for the stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that comes once the actors are chosen, and when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

New books in the library!

It's February!

February is a packed month.  Let's see...we have Black History Month.  Valentine's Day.  Balloon Day.  The Ice Festival.  Adam Gidwitz visits our school!  And last but never least...new books in the library!

So enough with the rambling, let's get to the books!!!

New display coming soon!

You may all have curious about the bit of a mess and kerfuffle the library has been in lately.  You'll notice the second reference shelf has been replaced with a mysterious, shroud covered object.

All will be unveiled soon, never fear!  And I think you will all really like the new addition to our library.

New books for January

Welcome back from break! 

Here are the new books available in the library this month!

If you're looking for some award winning titles, we have it (The Round House by Louise Erdrich won the National Book Award and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell was a Booker Prize finalist - not to mention made into a major motion picture).

We also have some great graphic novels as well as some fun young adult fiction.

Come take a look!

Tweet your top favorite books!

Do you have a Twitter account?  (If you do, I hope you've been following us @rollingbookcart)

If so, then you can join the Tweet Your Faves movement.  Starting today 12/12/12, tweet your top 12 favorite books at #libfaves12.  That's one favorite book for the next 12 days.  They don't have to be published in 2012 (though for consistency that would be cool) you can mention any of your best of the best choices.

 The Rolling Bookcart is on board, take a look to see what our top twelve picks are!

December books

Well it may not be a winter wonderland outside (where's my snow?!) but we do have a winter break coming up and you are going to have some series free time on your hands.

Never fear!  I have just the solution for your winter break doldrums!  Now for an unlimited time, we have some fantastic new books in the library.  And if none of the new stuff peaks your interest, please ask for recommendations.  I love giving recommendations.  Seriously.  It's why I became a librarian.

There are a lot of sequels but some stand out stand-alones as well.

90-Second Newbery Film Festival - Westing Style

The first trimester Middle School Library Club had their last club meeting on Friday.  There was a film screening for their 90-Second Newbery Film entry, watched by friends and the Debate club.

The club spent the entire trimester working on their film entry, turning the very complicated plot of The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, into a minute and a half long movie.  It was no easy task and the result is a rollicking and hilarious (if very confusing) rendition of the novel.

The film has been submitted into the festival and now the students will wait to see if it is featured during the New York City screening.

If anyone is interested in the library club for next year, we will be working on another entry, book to be determined!

Calling all zombie lovers...

As you may know, we have quite a few books on the subject in the library.   Zombie Haiku is a popular one, with its gory pictures and hilarious text.

They are so lucky
      that I cannot remember
how to use doorknobs.

We also have the lyrical and haunting The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan which begins...

My mother used to tell me about the ocean.  She said there was a place where there was nothing but water as far as you could see and that it was always moving, rushing toward you and then away.  She once showed me a picture that she said was my great-great-great-grandmother standing in the ocean as a child.  It has been years since, and the picture was lost to fire long ago., but I remember, faded and worn  A little girl surrounded by nothingness.

And then there is World War Z, in which Max Brooks, son of actor Mel Brooks, chronicles the fictitious "zombie wars" in which humans and zombies fight for rule of the world.

The cover has teased us since it was published in 2006 with the promise of a major motion picture.  Well the wait is finally over, the first teaser trailer has finally been released, starring Brad Pitt as the title role. 

It's scheduled to be in theaters June, 2013. If you can't stand the wait, be sure to come check out some of the other great zombie titles we have for offer here in the library.

New books for November!

November is a fantastic month.  Lots of great stuff happens in November!  (My birthday...the library book fair...Thanksgiving...did I mention my birthday?)  And some of those great things also include some awesome new books in the library!

One of those new books happens to be Casual Vacancy, the new book written by J. K. Rowling.  No, it's not for kids and no it's not about wizards.  Reviews are mixed but you are welcome to check it out and see what you think!

Spooky poems from the Middle School Library Club

The Middle School Library Club has been working hard on their entry for the 90 Second Newbery Film Festival.

Today, they took a break and read some of their favorite spooky poems in honor of Halloween.  Remember, October 31st is also All Hallow's Read.  Take the time to share your favorite spooky story with someone!

Daniel F. and The Will O' Wisp

Monti "Where did it come from?  Where did it go?"

Mazie and Celina duel reading from Spooky ABC (a banned book!)

William and the Headless Horseman