Library Crafts

 Stick Puppets made at the Extended Day Library Crafts Club:



 Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Ugli dolls

1st Grade Social Studies: Jobs

Jokes into Comics

Our student teacher, Max G., has been doing lessons on comics.  Third graders chose a joke from one of the joke books in the library and adapted it to the comic strip format.

Readers' Theater!

Fourth and fifth graders performed their readers theater for a first/second grade Spanish class. They read two plays sprinkled with Spanish words: Judy Freeman's adapatation of The Barking Mouse (from the book Once Upon a Time) and an adaptation of Skippyjon Jones. It was muy divertido!

Library Advocacy & Math

Stephanie's fourth and fifth graders learned that the total budget for library books--from New York State--is $6.25 per child per year. We figured that that meant that their class would be entitled to $137.50. We set up a "bookstore" in the library, and teams were given a budget of $137.50 to buy books for their class. Students learned that there would only be 6-8 books available for their whole class to share. This was enlightening to them and their teacher and has sparked them to do an advocacy project on behalf of school libraries in our state. Using their letter-writing skills, following a unit on persuasive writing, many students decided to contact our state senator to lobby for more funds for school libraries. 

Amy's Class -- Our Roots

We constructed a word cloud based on our families' places of origin:



courtesy http://www.wordle.net. Images of Wordles are licensed Creative Commons License.

"I want a scary book!"

My librarian mentor, in the all-boys school where I started out, used to lament the fact that boys would not check out The Secret Garden.  "If only they would put a picture of a bloody hand on the cover..."  The problem still remains.  Let's face it: kids are influenced in their reading choices by the cover design. One of my favorite childrens' lit blogs, Scope Notes, has been publishing a series on Unfortunate Covers.  Another blog, Jacket Whys, is devoted entirely to book jackets. I'm wishing that the publishers would catch on and package an easy-to-read, scary-but-not-too-scary book with in a cover that could compete with any Goosebumps title, rather than one with wide-eyed little kids running away from cute little ghosts and goblins. 
Which book looks scarier?

Thank You Rosie Mendez!

Hats off to our City Council Member Rosie Mendez for her support of our library.  Thanks to a grant from her office, we will be able to perform a much-needed upgrade of our technology!

Top Ten Circulating Titles

The Library's current Top Ten books checked out are: 
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (books 1 & and 2), Bone (graphic novel series) (1 and 2), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (manga), Babymouse (1): Queen of the World (graphic novel); Hulk (vol. 1): (graphic novel), Babymouse (4): Rockstar, Babymouse (5): Heartbreaker; Bone (10): Ghost Circles.  Do you see a pattern here?

Library Word Wall

For years I have dreamed about having a Library Word Wall in our library. When I discovered chalkboard paint, my fantasy began to take vivid shape. Thanks to our school's fantastic custodial team--Willie and Manny--and the graphic designer (and Neighborhood School mom) extraordinaire, Harriet Spear, that dream has come true! Can you think of any library words that begin with the letter U, X, or Z?

Our Community of Readers

Jane Addams Book Award

Lindsey (our library intern) and I dashed out of the library this afternoon and up First Avenue to get to the Jane Addams Children's Book Awards Ceremony at United Nations Plaza, where I purchased this charming stuffed replica of the pioneer social worker and feminist Jane Addams (pictured left). The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given annually to the children's books published the preceding year that effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races. I'm looking forward to sharing the 2009 winners with students: Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai will resonate with those students who have been concentrating on environmental concerns and The Storyteller's Candle/La velita de los cuentos, about Pura Belpre, the New York Public Library's first--and influential--Puerto Rican librarian. Each author delivered a moving acceptance speech, humbling his/herself in the service of promoting the subject of in his/her book instead.

Try Something New! Genre Punchcards

Like the "buy 10, get the 11th free" coffee punch cards , we now have "read 7 genres, get a prize" punch cards, in an effort to get some kids to diversify their reading. This "challenge" is taking off. The book categories? Fiction, Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, Picture Book, Poetry, Biography, and Folk/Fairy Tale (for grades 1-2, the first four). The prize? A new, free book (yes, to keep! no, not a library book!) or a scratch-and-sniff bookmark in gummy worm, chocolate bar, or buttered popcorn flavors, courtesy Upstart, my favorite library promotion store. Whiteboard rendering by our talented intern, Max.

Poetry Share with BMCC

Professor Bil Wright's creative writing class from Boro of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and PS 63 fifth graders shared their poetry around the theme of their "hopes and dreams for their future."

Sidewalk Poetry

April 20-24 = Sidewalk Poetry Week.







Kids chalked their poems on the sidewalks around the school.
The children's poems turned our school's surroundings into a word wonderland.

Children's Book Week

The votes are in! Laura's 1/2 class chose Those Darn Squirrels; Ms. Friedman's 2nd graders chose The Pigeon Wants a Puppy; and Ms. Zaccardi & Ms. Lee's 2nd grade class chose Katie Loves the Kittens. Check back on May 17th for the official announcement of votes from children around the U.S.!

May 11-17 is Children's Book Week. Grades K-2 are going to be voting for their favorites in the Library.



You can see the finalists here.

Book Hospital

Our custodian Willie worked his magic on a dirty old discarded metal cart, found in a supply closet at school. He cleaned it up and painted it clean, crisp white. Then graphic designer Harriet Spear (Neighborhood School parent) designed and produced the lettering and red-cross logo. I'm so excited about this object! Maybe its charm will lessen the pain of seeing all those worn out and mistreated books.

Poetry Writing w. Bowery Poetry Club

Gary Glazner, Managing Director of our neighbor, the Bowery Poetry Club, worked with fourth grade students to create acrostic poems using their first names.

Here's one:

Banana bread tastes good.
Eggs are tasty.
Nuggets come from McDonald’s.
Jello.
I like these.

GRAPHIC NOVELS WEEK!!

March 16-20 was Graphic Novels Week at our School!

(CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)

Book Fair

Comics for kids -- and teachers!


Janna Morishima of Diamond Books spoke to parents about "Why Comics Are Good for Kids," and recommended specific books featured in our book fair to parents.

Janna (right) talking to PS 63 Principal, Darlene Despeignes

Visiting Comic Book Artists and Authors
Several comic book artists and writers visited with students in the library.




Matt Loux met with third grade classes. He talked about his early influences (at left) and explained that at first he practiced copying his favorite cartoon characters over and over again before coming up with his original ideas. Writing is still hard for him. We are glad he perseveres and look forward to the next book in the Salt Water Taffy series!



First and second graders were treated to an interactive visit with Geoffrey Hayes (Benny & Penny Series). They wrote their own, original Benny & Penny stories.













George O'Connor read his Sally and the Something to Ms. Farkas' first graders; drew Uncle Bigfoot, and gave a sneak-preview of his forthcoming graphic novel, Olympians, to Joel's first/second grade class.




Cartoonist Neil Numberman did a hands-on insect-drawing workshop with third and fourth graders!
We're looking forward to seeing Neil's soon-to-be released first book in the Joey Fly: Private Eye series--Joey Fly: Private Eye in Creepy Crawly Crime.



Artist Raina Telgemeier of Baby-Sitters Club fame talked about her work with fifth graders from Ms. Deshpande's class.




Misako Rocks speaks with fifth-grade students. After a slide presentation, she demonstrates her Manga drawing technique for the class.

Alex Simmons, writer for Archie Comics, did a comic-making workshop with children. Alex organizes the annual Kids' Comic Con in the Bronx.



Matt Madden, co-author of Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, spoke to teachers about possibilities for using comics in the classroom.