Book Recommendations from John Green

I found this on the Vlogbrothers. Great and varied recommendations!

Help us win 100 books! Vote for DMS

We are a finalist in a 100-book giveaway contest! The school with the most votes at the end of the month, wins a selection of middle grade books! We need your help! Please vote for us and send others to vote!

http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2012/10/vote-great-library-giveaway-2012/

The link will take you to the page, the poll is in the left sidebar! There are three schools but we all know Discovery Middle School is number one! Help us prove it!  Thank you!

Fall Book Fair - ONLINE!

Although we are wrapping up our in school book fair, you still have time to shop! Shop our Discovery ONLINE Scholastic Book Fair until October 30, 2012!

Making Videos in the Library

DMS School Library September 2012 Newsletter

Guest teachers on WDMS

News from the
Discovery Middle School Library
October 2012

Wow! It was a busy month. So far, I think genre-fying the library works! I'm collecting data as we go, but the library feels busier than ever!

In August we checked out 851 items and in September we checked out 1,081! We had quite a few new items come in for September so our holds were through the roof with 75 holds placed!  Can we keep the pace?

These are the Top Twenty titles checked out last month, though the report is a little wonky right now.

1. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
3. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (book club)
4. Enclave by Ann Aguirre
5. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
8. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
9. The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
10. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
11. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (book club)
12. The Death Cure by James Dashner
13. Sidekicks by Jack Ferraiolo
14. Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien
15. The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney 
16. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
17. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
18. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
19. Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
20. Gimme a Cal by Sarah Mylnowski

Top Search

These were the top 10 items students searched for last month:

• hunger games
• divergent
• dork diaries
• legend
• the hunger games
• warriors
• shatter me
• enclave
• big nate
• kill order

Book Clubs

Holy Moly! 30 students (20g, 10b) completed both steps to be in the 7th grade book club!! We also had 10 (10g) for 6th grade book club and 12 (12g) for 8th grade book club. 

6th graders read Sidekicks by Dan Santat 

and 

8th graders read Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol.  

Next up for each group:

6th grade - Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

and

8th grade - two books

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

These two books deal with similar subject matter so we will read both and compare. Speak is also on my Printz Challenge. 

7th graders are still in a flux as I try to decide how to make this work. I've recruited two teachers to help me out and we divided the group into 3 smaller groups.  One group is reading The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, one will read Grave Mercy by RL LaFevers and one will read Hero by Mike Lupica. As soon as books arrive, we will start our club!

Look!

Leading the way!

DYSTOPIA!

The success of the Hunger Games movie,the switch to genre-based fiction in the library, and our past One Book, One School choices has led to an increase interest in dystopian novels.

 Hoping to capitalize on student interest, some of the 8th grade language arts classes are doing a unit that includes reading some scifi/dystopia/post-apocalyptic literature.


 If you are looking for something to read, here are some of my favorite titles in those genres (linked to goodreads):

WDMS 2012 2

Created a partial Animoto video to show students how to use Animoto and to show parents their students during the school day.

Welcome Back! August 2012

SciFi and Dystopia

Woo-hoo! Today was the official first day the library was open.

Schedule

Mondays 7th graders

Wednesdays 8th graders

Thursdays 6th graders

Checkout policies vary based on grade level.  

Library is open from 8:50a - 4:00p each day with the following exceptions:

The library will be closed on 

Mondays 1:20p-1:50p

Wednesdays 11:10a-11:40a

Thursdays 12:15p-12:45p

Genre-fying the School Library

Some Sports books

I've been talking to my twitter PLN and after much discussion, I've decided to re-organize the school library. Again.

As always, my goal is to make the library a space students and staff not only want to visit, but want to borrow materials from. I also want those materials to be as accessible as possible.

Last year we moved all the series books to one area in the library. I also order those books separately so that they have my special SER prefix instead of FIC.

This year I'm putting all the fiction, and some of the non-fiction, into genres! This will be similar to what you would you find in a bookstore but based on past student interactions.

We get lots of requests for mysteries, romance, sports, action, horror, and just general good books! We are keeping our good books table but will try to highlight a different genre each month!!

Since I started this over summer with very little help (thanks Jess!) there is still a lot of work to be done! Especially since I'm slow at this stuff - it took me a long time to decide on the genres then decide where things might go! I had Jess measure the shelf space too because that doesn't exist anywhere! No worries though, the library will still open in time! I'll just have the students help me along the way!

Not even 1/2 the books

Once upon a SER section

WDMS School Tube Channel

Tune in to our new School Tube channel where we will upload some of the videos we do in class.

Find us at: http://www.schooltube.com/organization/145569/

Here's a video the students made this Spring 2012

DMS School Libary March 2012 Newsletter

News from

the

Instructional Media Center

March 2012

Between Acuity testing and ISTEP, the library has been like a ghost town. Time for me to take it to the streets. Spent a day in Mr. O'Malley's class - check out the slideshow after the news!

Checkouts have increased slightly from over 500 to over 600 and holds are down to 14. Top books circulated in February were:

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
3. Wonderstruck by Brain Selznick
4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
5. Harmless by Dana Reinhardt
6. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
7. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
8. Squish, Super Amoeba by Jenni Holm
9. The Death Cure by James Dashner
10. Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder
11. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
12. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
13. The Familiars by Jay Epstein
14. Along for The Ride by Sarah Dessen
15. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
16. Sidekicks by Dan Santat
17. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
18. First Kill by Heather Brewer
19. Icefall by Matthew Kirby
20. Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Wow! Sarah Dessen and the Graphic Novels dominated the desk this past month!

Book Clubs

The sixth grade book club was canceled due to lack of signups. Both the 7th and 8th grade teams met to discuss their books. 8th grade was out in full force while we were missing a few students in 7th. The 8th graders had a lively discussion of The Fault in our Stars by John Green and the 7th graders agreed on the awesomeness of Legend by Marie Lu.

The next book club meeting is Thursday, March 22, 2012 during lunches. Don't forget your pass!

7th Graders will discuss The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. If you've read it already - or you are in the middle - leave some comments on our Goodreads Group page - DMS Book Club.

The 8th Graders will discuss Enclave by Ann Aguirre. Check out the discussion page and add your thoughts at the DMS Book Club. You have to join to make comments.

Classroom Spotlight
Instead of highlighting a website this month, I want to show you a day in Mr. O'Malley's class. The cupcakes were being made in response to a reading of I Am The Messenger. Students in the HA classes decided how they were going to "be the message". One class is collecting items to make care packages to send to the soldiers, one class will be serving dinner at a soup kitchen, and one class baked, decorated and donated cupcakes to a local warming shelter. You go, 8th graders!

Friday Reads - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
I've had this on my Kindle for awhile! Forgot my other book - The Humming Room by Ellen Potter - and thought I would dive into this one.

Scan the QR Code for more information about the book.

World Read Aloud Day - March 7, 2012

Today is World Read Aloud Day! I'll be reading to students in the cafeteria during lunches and walking around reading to whoever will let me! It should be fun!!

7th Grade Book Discussion Group - Book 1 - Legend

Legend
Marie Lu

The 7th Grade Book Discussion Group will meet Friday, March 9, 2012 to discuss Legend by Marie Lu . We will meet during 7th grade lunch. I will update this post after (and possibly during?) discussion.

We have four copies available in the School Library.

8th Grade Book Discussion Group - Book 1 - Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars
John Green

The 8th Grade Book Discussion Group will meet Friday, March 9, 2012 to discuss The Fault in Our Stars .  We will meet during 8th grade lunch. I will update this post after discussion.

We have four copies available in the School Library.

Friday Reads - Wonder by RJ Palacio

I just started Wonder by RJ Palacio today. I've heard "wonder" ful things about it on Twitter. It's about a boy named Auggie who has, among other physical ailments, a facial deformity and he starts middle school. His first foray into school.

Scan the QR Code for more information!

DMS School Library February Newsletter 2012

News from the Instructional Media Center

February 2012

Happy February! Due to Winter Break, School Delays, and a Snow Day - coupled with scheduled days off, it's been a little bit slower in the library than I would like.

We checked out over 500 items and had 49 Hold Requests!  Our top circulated items were:

1. The Death Cure by James Dashner  
2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
3. Bigger Than A Breadbox by Laurel Snyder
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
6. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
7. Icefall by Matthew Kirby
8. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
9. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
10. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
11. The Return of Meteor Boy by William Boniface
12. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
13. Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
14. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
15. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
16. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
17. The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
18. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
19. The Help by Katherine Stockett
20. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Nice to see a solid mix of single titles along with the ever popular series!

Book Clubs

We finished our Mock Newbery book club with lunch time meetings on January 19, just a few days before the Newbery announcement. The students picked Divergent by Veronica Roth as their top title!


We will start Spring Book Clubs on March 1, 2012.  Each grade will meet during their lunch period every 3 weeks. At least 4 copies of each book will be available from the school library.  Please check with the local library for additional copies.

6th Graders

• Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
• The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Shan
• Warp Speed by Lisa Yee
• The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
• The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
• Sidekicks by Dan Santat

7th Graders

• The Eleventh Plague
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Shatter Me by Taheri Mafi
• The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann
• Insurgent by Veronica Roth
• Partials by Dan Wells

8th Graders

• Enclave by Ann Aguirre
• Hourglass by Myra McEntire
• Gimme a Call by Sarah Mylnowski
• Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Why We Broke Up by Handler and Kalman
• Heartbreakers by Pamela Wells

If you are interested in joining a Spring Book Club, please see Ms. Burnette in the library to grab a sign up sheet.

Website Spotlight
Each month I will highlight a website from AASL (The American Association of School Librarians) best websites for Teaching and Learning.  Note: Annotations are from AASL.


NOTA (notaland.com)
Annotation: Connect, collaborate, and co-create in real time! Nota, a dynamic whiteboard wiki, allows multiple users to write and integrate text, paste photos and maps, add video and audio to make brainstorms, presentations, and scrapbooks in a snap.


My Thoughts
Free sign up
Create a public or private scrapbook
Works better in Firefox (was using Google Chrome)
Could be used to make a fun scrapbook page for a character.

Just a reminder: Fines are 5 per day and you are not allowed to check out any new items until fines are paid.  The checkout period is 4 weeks.