DMS Students on the News

Congratulations to Kristina,  a 7th grader at Discovery. She won the NFL Pass, Punt, and Kick National Championship! One of our news stations came to the school to interview her and decided to let two of our morning news show students take the lead!

Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, Sports

So cool! Way to go Reis, Emily, and Kristina!

This Month in Book Clubs - January 2013

4 of 5 book clubs will meet this month to discuss books read over Winter Break. One will meet to discuss a previously read book, due to a missed meeting.

6th Grade - January 11 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

I'll share the Official Book Trailer


Some information about Katherine Applegate (and her husband Michael Grant). I was lucky enough to hear Ms. Applegate speak back in August, shortly after The Real Ivan died. And if conversation lulls, I'll share the Harper Collins Children's Discussion Guide.

7th Grade Howard - January 11 - Boy21 by Matthew Quick

Here's the trailer


Here's a bio of Matthew Quick.  And some questions for Boy21.

7th Grade Roberts - January 18 - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

The trailer

The blog of Tahereh Mafi and some information about Shatter Me movie rights which were sold even before the book came out!  Also, a recording of Ms. Mafi pronouncing her first name! On her official website you can see a trailer for book 1.5 Destroy Me.

7th Grade Randolph - January 25 - Partials by Dan Wells

The trailer

 Dan Wells' bio as well as a trailer for the next book, Fragments.

8th Grade - January 24 - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Trailer


Laini Taylor's Blog. Those UK covers are so much better! Love their simplicity.  A few discussion questions from LitLovers.

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!