Jan Brett, Featured Author for the Holidays

This time of year I always think of one of my favorite authors, Jan Brett.  Ms. Brett has created many holiday books - The Night Before Christmas is one of many.  On her website, Jan Brett highlights several books through activities and video.  Take a look at some of our favorite holiday books on her website: The Gingerbread Baby, Gingerbread Friends, Home for Christmas (her newest book!), Christmas Trolls, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, and The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Which one is YOUR favorite?

Chris Van Allsburg - Author/Illustrator

Chris Van Allsburg's website is filled with experiences related to his books and art.  When you enter the garden of Abdul Gasazi, you find a world of video, book summaries, and interactive games.

The skill of inferencing is needed to detect the unspoken hidden meaning and understand text.  The skill is needed to recognize what the writer is trying to accomplish through the whole text.  Literature that goes beyond literal understanding involves some degree of inferencing.  Educators have discovered that practicing the skill of inferring enables students to begin to understand the process of "reading between the lines."

In the story The Stranger, readers must use inferencing skills to draw their own conclusion to the story.  In our library lesson today, we discussed possible endings to the story and read aloud more books written by Van Allsburg.

Click here for a video interview with Chris Van Allsburg.

Online Book Fair

Thank You so much for supporting our Book Fair.  If you would like to purchase additional books from our school book fair, please visit the Online Book Fair. The proceeds from the Book Fair allow our library to purchase additional books and technology for use in our school.

Click here to go to the Tanglewood Online Book Fair.


You can create a student wish list and send an eCard from the Online Book Fair site to friends and family.
Thanks again for your support!

The Book Fair is Coming!

The Tanglewood Book Fair is coming November 1 - 4, 2011!  Brochures with more information will be sent home this week so check your child's backpack for a preview of books for sale and a schedule of special events.

We will have two early morning events: Wednesday, November 2, and Thursday, November 3 at 7:15.  Come shop early and bring a parent or grandparent.  We will have Martian Muffins!

The Book Fair will be open on Carnival Night too!  We will open from 5:00 - 9:00 so come shop for Christmas books, birthday surprises and good reads!  The library benefits from the sales so be sure to stock up on your reading.

For more information and times, click here for the Tanglewood Book Fair site. 

Reading is out of this world!

Kate Klise Visited Tanglewood - October 18 - Fifth Grade Students

The Fort Worth Public Library Foundation, Owsley Author Foundation, hosted a visit from Kate Klise, author of the 43 Old Cemetery Road series and the Regarding... Series.  Ms. Klise came to Tanglewood to meet our fifth graders and talk about the process of writing.  She had some great ideas about writing creatively.  Her books are most enjoyable and are written as epistles; the letters reveal the story.  My favorite part of her books are the character-appropriate names she gives her characters.  (For example: Anita Sales (the realtor), I. B. Grumply (a disgruntled children's book author), Seymour Hope, etc.)  The students wrote a letter to Ms. Klise and signed their letter with a creative name.  There were several imaginative signatures: Bill O'Wrights, Inita Book, Sharon Books, Reid Moore Books.  We presented the letters to Ms. Klise during her visit with us last week.  Click on the picture below to see her website.

Fourth Grade Endangered Animal Project

Fourth graders will be researching different animals that are endangered.  The project will include finding information about the physical appearance of the animal, the diet and habitat of the animal, as well as what is being done to protect the species.

The following sites are recommended to help the students find the information:

San Diego Zoo
Brittanica Encyclopedia (User Name and Password are school and mascot)
Encyclopedia.com
National Geographic Kids
Kids Planet

Another resource: Tanglewood Catalog (link can be found in the left bar of this site).  Conduct a search using the basic search box and click the title search.  Books on your subject will be listed.  Click on the "One Search" tab to find websites available on your subject.


During library time, the students looked at the websites to familiarize themselves with the site or the encyclopedia.  I think the students are excited about finding facts and information about animals that are in danger of becoming extinct!

Contest - Do you know your George Shannon books?

The first student to ask your parent to send me a comment (click on the comments below) with the answer to the question below will win a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble to buy a book!

Question: What is your favorite George Shannon book?

WE HAVE A WINNER!  LANDON ANSWERED - MORE STORIES TO SOLVE!  LANDON WILL RECEIVE A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO B&N!  THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

We enjoyed Mr. Shannon's visit to our school and we are still enjoying his books!  Thank you, Mr. Shannon, for bringing us more ideas on writing with imagination!

Visiting Author George Shannon - September 22, 2011

Author George Shannon is coming to Tanglewood on September 22.  Mr. Shannon was here for a visit in 2001, and we enjoyed every minute of his company.  He is a delightfully friendly, tall, lanky and quick-witted gentleman from the state of Washington.  He tells some wonderful stories in his books, and he delights in helping students (and aspiring authors) learn about the writing process.  Mr. Shannon will share his expertise in writing and his knowledge of literature with all the students of Tanglewood during his visit with us.

If you would like to read about Mr. Shannon and his books, visit his website by clicking here.  His books are available to order through the Tanglewood PTA website.  (Click on "Library" and "visiting author")  Order soon so he can autograph the book when he is here. 

We have been sharing some of his great stories in the library and the students are excited about his visit.  Upper grades are trying to solve some of his mysterious stories! 

Have you read the Dan Gutman series, My Weird School?

Dan Gutman Video

Click on the link above and watch a video featuring author Dan Gutman.  Mr. Gutman shares some writing techniques and the background information about My Weird School books.  We have these books in the library.  Come check them out!

Library Orientation 2011

Library Orientation Movie

New School Year, New Library Year!

Front hall duty on the first day of school is a highlight of my school year!  It brings great enthusiasm and anticipation for the year ahead when I see those smiling faces carrying new supplies, new backpacks, and new lunch kits.  Everyone is all shined up and polished!  It's going to be a great year!

We will start the library year with an orientation for students and parent volunteers.  The schedule for class library visits can be found in the Google calendar on this page.  There will probably be changes in the calendar (there always are changes!), but maybe this will help volunteers know when homerooms will come to the library.  ****We appreciate our volunteers!*****

I am hoping upper grade classes can start on Monday, August 29.  The start date will depend on the district data upload.  If the data is loaded into the system, I can make barcodes and get circulation started.  I am in touch with homeroom teachers regarding the status of the system, and I will let them know when classes can start.  Volunteers will be needed when books are returned.  ****We appreciate our volunteers!****

Please check the PTA website for volunteer opportunities in the library.  The date for our annual volunteers training/information meeting will be set soon.  ****We appreciate our volunteers!****
See you in the library,
Mrs. Nader

Summer Reading Programs

PARENTS:
There are so many ideas for summer reading.  I mentioned the Fort Worth Public Library program in a recent post.  There are also reading programs offered at Barnes and Noble.  I was in the store yesterday and picked up one of the brochures.  Read any eight books and you can choose a free book from a list of titles.  Parents may enter a chance for a free Nook also.

On this page there is an interview with the author of Judy Moody books, Megan McDonald.  She talks about her inspiration for writing the Judy Moody series and the newest title for summer reading: Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.

While searching for some ideas for encouraging summer reading, I came across an article highlighted by B&N by the author Jenn Berman.  Here are some of the important facts she discusses:  "It is up to you to create an enthusiastic reader, and summer is the perfect time to do that. It is a great time to start new traditions, rituals, and activities that make your family more print-friendly. Studies show that children who come from what researchers call a "print-rich environment" consistently score better in writing, reading, and math skills than children who come from a "print-poor environment." Print, in this case, relates to a wide variety of materials including books, magazines, newspapers, and even comic books. When researchers examined 21 kindergarten classes to see who displayed high interest in reading and who showed low interest, it became clear that the home environment and parents' reading habits were crucial factors.

Typically, kids who don't read during the summer lose academic skills over the break time. This is known in academic circles as "summer learning loss," and studies show that kids often lose two to three months of reading progress over the break. For older children and the economically disadvantaged the gap is even bigger. According to researchers Donald Hayes and Judith Grether, "The differential progress made during the four summers between 2nd and 6th grade accounts for upwards of 80 percent of the achievement difference."

With those statistics in mind consider Dr. Berman's ideas on developing a passion for reading in your child. 

My little granddaughters are coming to stay with me for a few days while their parents take a trip.  I plan to practice some of these ideas while they stay with me.  I have already planned some of our reading!  We like to read aloud because I know the value of reading aloud to my children and now my grandchildren.  (See the post about Read Alouds.)

Email me some of your ideas about developing the love of reading in your child and I will post them on our website. 

We had a winner for the gift certificate!  Keep watching for another contest!

Keep reading,
Mrs. Nader

Summer Reading Is a MUST!

Well, the library is actually closed down for the summer.  Rarely are the doors closed and locked!  A teacher commented that she had never seen the library so bare - no students, no teachers, no volunteers!  In the meantime, I look forward to sharing ideas with you about summer reading.  I have created a "page" within this blog to help you with reading ideas.  Click on the "Summer Reading" page at the top of the blog and you will find informtaion about AR books for the summer, links to websites that have many reading lists, and some activities related to summer reading.

Students, please ask your parents for permission to view this website and ask their permission to send me an email regarding your summer reading.  The first student/parent to email me the title of the book you are reading (tangalibrarian@gmail.com) will win a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble to pick out a new summer book!  I will send it to you in the "snail mail"!

I am reading a book that I plan to add to the Tales 4 Tigers reading list in the fall: The Trouble with Chickens: a JJ Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin.  It is really funny!  Ms. Cronin also wrote The Diary of a Fly, Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Worm books.  Click here for more information about her and a list of all her great books. 

Check back often.  I will post more book ideas and more prizes! 

Keep reading,
Mrs. Nader

Eagle Watch!

Click here for Eagle Watch! The students and teachers are watching the mother Eagle and her eaglets.