La Lucha Libro Library

Thanks Aaron R. (1st grade) for making my day.

Two weeks before we let out for Spring Break, the library had been closed for benchmark testing. Needless to say, many students were not happy, and one 5th grader approached me and said, “I have rights”! His class in particular, Room 34, happens to be a group of reluctant readers gone avid. I knew they would appreciate house calls so I had been taking them books during the two-week period.

The Thursday before Spring Break, I was mulling over what to take them when my eyes fell on the Beverly Cleary section. I began to wonder what would happen if I took them books I had read as a kid, so I grabbed some of my favorites and their teacher’s favorites, and we challenged them to read one of these titles during Spring Break. Their teacher, Mrs. Castaneda, and I told them that if they read one, they could leave a comment on the blog when they came back.They have no idea about copyright and little do they know how far back the books date. I can’t wait to see their faces when they do the math!

If any of these titles were your favorites as a child, please leave your comments below. The kids would love to hear from you.

Matilda by Roald Dahl, 1988
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume, 1970
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary, 1968
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, 1961
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary, 1982
Stuart Little by E. B White, 1945
Charlotte’s Web by E. B White, 1952
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, 2000
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh 1964
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, 1973
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary, 1970
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, 1973
Bunnicula by James Howe, 1979
Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary, 1965

We have such great 5th grade students and teachers. The teachers have really transformed the way kids respond to literature, and have made the library a real hot spot. We keep catching them in the most unlikely places reading. It’s every librarian’s dream.

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Our 5th graders are awesome this year. A librarian couldn’t ask for a better group. They always have their faces in a book.

The Build-a-Potato contest just seems to get better and better every year. Each year the scenes become bigger and more elaborate. Both of The Three Little Pig entries were memorable, and it was interesting how each entry was depicted so differently. It’s hard to capture through photos, but the manipulation of the potatoes is really quite genius as in Erick’s Tyrannosaurus Rex.  The shape of the potato can also make all the difference in the world as evidenced in Samarah’s The Little Red Hen.

The Cat in the Hat and Finding Nemo are always popular characters and this year was no exception. It’s makes them difficult to judge because their uniqueness is no longer a surprise, but The Lorax and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were. The real surprise character this year was Katniss from the Hunger Games.

I must note that not all potatoes are based on book characters. No matter how many times I tell the kids the potatoes are to depict characters from books, some do what they want anyway. This year was no different with the number of entries I received fashioned after Angry Birds and Hello Kitty. The funniest potato I have ever received was  El Chavo del Ocho, and that same year a student turned in potatoes depicting two contestants from the Spanish version of Dancing with the Stars.

I wish I could have taken photos of all the entries but there are always far too many. I hope you enjoy the few I have included here. Can you pick the winners?

The Little Chapel that Stood by A. B. Curtiss, recounts the history and story of St Paul’s Chapel and its significance during the 9-11 tragedy. Dating back to the 1700’s, St. Paul’s Chapel, a place of hope and refuge, from the days of George Washington to September 11,^, 2011, has stood the test of time enduring history, advancements, and tragedy all the while standing as a symbol of our great nation. Curtiss entwines the story of the chapel with the courage of the American people during this fateful day. A testament to the notion that “sometimes being little doesn’t mean being small.”

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t those that are store bought, but those given where there is a little bit of sacrifice involved. Add sacrifice to resourcefulness and Jack ends up with the best gift for the princess’s tenth birthday party.

To poor to buy a gift, Jack decides he will make her a cake and take it to the party, but by the time he arrives to the princess’s party he no longer has the cake, which to the delight of the princess ends up to be the best gift of all.

Find out what happens to Jack and the cake along the way to the princess’s party, and why his gift literally ‘takes the cake’.

WINNER 2010 Parents’ Choice Recommended
WINNER 2010 Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice
WINNER 2010 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
WINNER 2010 Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books
WINNER 2010 New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
WINNER ALA Notable Children’s Book
NOMINEE Texas Bluebonnet Master List

It was such a treat to listen to our State Senator Judith Zaffirini speak at our librarian’s meeting this year. As a firm believer in reading and technology, she pulled out her iPhone, Kindle and iPad exemplifying that there is never a good excuse not to be reading. What really struck a cord with me though, was when she said that the question she was asked quite frequently but most offended by was, “How do you have time to read?” To which her response was along the lines of ~ “How can you not have time to read? How can you be so self-absorbed and self-indulgent that you don’t have time to know and want to learn about what others think.”

What a surprise when Ms. Garza’s Pre-Kinder a.m. class surprised me with hugs and this poster during National Library Week. It made for a great day. There was none of the usual fanfare we usually get, but they went out of their way to make me feel good. Considering I don’t see this class because of budget cuts made it much sweeter.

These are other things that made my week great:

- Senator Judith Zaffirini was the keynote speaker at our library meeting ~ she was amazing!

- I received the best e-mail from our school’s former nurse  -

- Our campus Attendance clerk and LPAC clerk brought us a cake!

- and this awesome funny poster! Nothing Sickens me More…”

In 2011, Eddika Castaneda and I facilitated for her GT students at the annual GT Showcase. Using a variety of multimedia tools such as Glogster, Xtranormal, and Story Jumper to create their semester long biography projects, we took the students a step further into the 21st century with QR codes. There were no tri-folds for these students. Watch how they showcase their projects to attendees.

Smart Kids Using Smart Devices