Amelia Lost: The Life &

Disappearance of

Amelia Earheart

By:  Candace Fleming

 

Amelia Lost written by Candace Fleming is the quintessential book for mystery lovers as well as those seeking to study people who changed history.  The book was published by Schwartz & Wade  in 2011.  The book is written in alternating chapter format that presents information about Amelia’s childhood followed by chapters that seek to solve the mystery of her disappearance.  Candace Fleming has written several award-winning books including The Lincolns and Ben Franklin’s Almanac. 

The lexile level is 930.  It would be a great addition to a theme series on Famous Women, Bravery, or mysteries.  It includes a series of important graphs including maps and charts.  It would partner well with Sally Ride:  Shooting for the Stars and Almost Astronaunts:  13 Women Who Dared to Dream. 

 

 

There are numerous teacher assists available to go along with the book including an on-line curriculum guide and many digital resources including: 

  Amelia Earhart: The Official Website

www.ameliaearhart.com

The Ninety-Nines, Inc.

International Organization of Women Pilots

www.ninety-nines.org

The Museum of Flight

www.museumofflight.org/amelia

Purdue University Library

www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/aearhart

The book has received many awards including:  the Golden Kite award and Horn Book starred review. 

 

 

 



American Revolution:  Fact Tracker

Magic Tree House Companion Series    Book Review#2

The American Revolution fact tracker is one in a series of twenty-eight non-fiction companion books developed by Mary Pope Osborne to partner with her Magic Tree House books.  These companions provide informational text to align and enhance the stories of the series.  This fact tracker partners with Magic Tree House book #22:  Revolutionary War on Wednesday.  The book was published in 2004 by Random House:  New York.  The book has an AR book level of 4.5 with a lexile level of 700.  The book features 121 pages of quarter to three-quarter text pages as well as pictures on every pages.  The pictures are black and white and include both cartoon-like illustrations that include Jack and Annie of the original Magic Tree House series as well as more life-like drawings of the historical events and people.  In addition, the book features timelines, maps, an index of historical places and people, and lists of books, DVDs, Internet resources, and museums that align with the text. 

 The book is laid out well for younger readers; there are plenty of interesting and educational illustrations and graphics.  The book offers great historical information on the early years of colonization, the Revolutionary War, and The Declaration of Independence.  It is easy to read while also offering a good variety of social studies' type vocabulary.

This book, as well as the others in the fact tracker series, would offer a well-rounded overview of history for the young reader while also enhancing an already established series that has been loved by kids for many years.

Above and to the right, you see some examples of the types of graphics offered in the series.  The map graphic to the right shows the location and make up of the 13 colonies.  As a history teacher of older students, I can see where this information would be a valuable preface to the study of the colonization period. 

The book would be a delight for students who are interested in the colonial period as well as those who have an interest in war, particularly, the Revolutionary War. 

These books are extremely similar to the fiction Magic Tree House series and also hold a resemblance to the Magic School Bus series; both of which offer students good information while entertaining and being visually simulating.  The book has not received any awards; however, the partner Magic Tree House series has. 

Additional digital resources may be found at 42explore2.com/revolt.htm; kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/americanrevolution/amerrevolution.htm; mountvernon.org; pbs.org/liberty; thefreedomtrail.org; and ushistory.org/betsy/flagtale.html. 

This would be a great book to use in introductory activities for study of the colonies or the Revolutionary War.

Owen & Mzee:  The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

Book Review #1: 

 Owen & Mzee is a sweet tale of friendship written by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu.  The book was published by Scholastic in 2006.  The AR book level is 5.4 with a lexile level of 841.  The book is hard back, library bound, and contains a plethora of original photographs of the Kenyan countryside as well as Owen (a hippo) and Mzee (a giant tortoise).  The book is laid out in an easy to read fashion with one half to page large text opening to a photograph on every page. 

As stated, the text is large; however, the vocabulary could prove difficult for young readers.  The book would definitely appeal to animal lovers as well as those intrigued by Africa. It would also make a good read aloud for librarians or teachers when discussing the value of friendship and overcoming stereotypes.  The image shown below is a perfect example of the themes of the book regarding acceptance, friendship, and protection. 

 

Owen and Mzee would partner well with units on African as well. Using hand in hand with books such as Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, and Ashanti to Zulu would present a broad picture of the culture.  It would be valuable to examine the location of Kenya and study the animals of the country when studying the book.  The partner texts would also provide a lot of valuable information about culture, customs, and traditional beliefs of the people of Africa.  Using the website http://www.africanfauna.com/ would add a lot of addition information about plants and animals in Africa as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owen and Mzee won the Book Sense of the Year Award as well as the ALAN award.  It continues to be a favorite of adults and children.

 

 

 

Change is Good

Well, as most of you have heard by now, these are my last couple of weeks as media specialist at ECS.  I am leaving the position to return to my greatest love:  the classroom.  I will be teaching middle school social studies next year; a position I held some ten years ago.  It is with excitement mixed with a little sadness that I move.  Excitement for the change and the day to day interaction with the same students; sadness at those younger students that I will no longer encounter each week.  I am leaving this place in good hands as Mrs. Dana Smith will take over the helm of the library.  She brings many years of experience as well as a passion for literacy and teaching.  So, it is goodbye for now knowing that change is good and great things are on the horizon.  `Mrs. Main aka Library Lady

Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the air and that means it is time for our annual Spring Book Fair and Literacy Night.  Our spring book fair begins Tuesday, April 16 and runs through Thursday, April 18.  On Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:00 p.m., we will have our special family event which will include not only the book fair but also AR reading and testing, puppet shows, monologues, snacks, educational games, special Kindergarten celebrations, and pictures with Clifford the Big Red Dog at the book fair. 

A special coin and school supply collection for children at the Shiperoy School in Uganda, Africa will be held in conjunction with the book fair.  Mrs. Masterson and Mrs. Main will be travelling to Uganda this summer with a group from CFC to train teachers and work with children in schools and orphanages.  We are excited to allow our students to be a part of this ministry. Look for a letter home soon about this opportunity.

 To access our book fair homepage, go to:  http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/ecslibrary10. 

Join us for the fun:  April 16-18!

Searching the ECS Library from Your Kitchen Table

Many times, I am approached and asked if our library has a certain book, video, or audio book.  Even though I have worked in the library for the past three years, I still do not know every item that we have to offer (since we have over 15,000), so where do I go.......our library catalog.  Our library catalog is online and is accessible from any computer with internet connection.  Not only will you find every item available in our library, but you can also search the title peak page for our top 10 books, read reviews, and set up your own page to reserve books, form your own library shelf, and develop your own reviews.  In order to set up your own page, you just need to know your library patron number which we can provide to you.  Currently, we are in the research phase of determing the feasibility of adding an ebook lending service to our library.  We will keep you informed of the progress in this area.  To access our online catalog, go to:  https://evansvillechristian.follettdestiny.com/common/welcome.jsp?context=saas03_1301569.  Have fun searching. 

Why is Non-Fiction Important?

In today’s New York Times, an article entitled “The Times and the Common Core Standards” included some very interesting statistics regarding the importance of reading and understanding informational text in order to succeed in the academic world. According to the article, as a student progresses throughout his or her educational career, reading should include more and more non-fiction reading. The article summarizes, “While English classes will still include healthy amounts of fiction, the standards say that students should be reading more nonfiction texts as they get older, to prepare them for the kinds of material they will read in college and careers. In the fourth grade, students should be reading about the same amount from “literary” and “informational” texts, according to the standards; in the eighth grade, 45 percent should be literary and 55 percent informational, and by 12th grade, the split should be 30/70” (Schulten). As our library staff looks for ways to assist teachers and students in these areas, we have not only added a required non-fiction element to the A.R. goal, but also, have increased the amount of informational text that we use in the research process with students as young as 2nd grade while making sure that we read an equal amount of non-fiction and fiction during our early learner’s reading times. Additionally, we require all 1st graders to check out one non-fiction book each week. As we study the research and look for ways to put the findings into practice, we are seeing our students’ vocabulary and understanding of technical information increasing.


Schulten, K. “The Times and the Common Core Standards: Reading Strategies for Informational Text.” New York Times.

Literary Magazine

The library staff is currently accepting entries for the first ECS Literary Magazine.  A letter was sent to parents and teachers of students in 2nd through 8th grades.  We are seeking superior writing of prose and poetry, as well as artwork, and photography done by our students.  Entries are being accepted through March 1. If enough entries are submitted, the magazine will be published in the spring. 

Helpful Information

For the past year and a half, I have been compiling a wikispace with valuable research steps and links for projects.  I have passed this information along in the past, but wanted to remind you of this valuable tool.  The space can be accessed at www.ecsresearch.wikispaces.com.  Please consider using the steps in the Big 6 provided as a guide to teaching research and using the links as well.  Let me know if you have questions. 

Library T-Shirts

Orders are being taken for the newest library t-shirts.  Sign ups are in the workroom at the East Campus.  The shirts are pictured below.

Common Core: How's that Working for You?

There's a whole lot of informational text being decifered in the media center, and it's not just by 8th graders.  First grade students will begin a unit on non-fiction reading strategies using our ever popular dog series beginning this week.  Second grade students have been reading, discussing, and pulling apart solar system books in order to find facts that they will include in their fantasy stories about space, third grade students are currently finishing up their Evansville history unit by perusing a website that details the terms of each of Evansville's mayors. 4th graders are beginning a volcano unit where they will research volcanoes and develop lesson plans for Kindergarten and 1st grade students. 5th graders are beginning a research teaching unit on ecosystems, 6th graders will begin a space unit in January; 7th graders are doing research on Victorian England and how it affected the writing of Charles Dickens, and 8th graders just finished partner texts that showed the development of themes in the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien.  You don't have to read between the lines to understand that our media center is being used alot to help our students understand the research process while delving into informational text.  Come by sometimes; you might learn something. 

Living Wax Museum PSA:

Living Wax Museum

The library staff is so excited about our upcoming Living Wax Museum events. On Friday, Nov. 9, we will begin our festivities with our annual book character parade presented by Pre-K,K, 1st, and 2nd graders. The parade will signal the opening our of Living Wax Museum in the gymnasium. The 3rd grade exhibits will come to life from 1:00 p.m.to 1:35 p.m. followed by the 4th grade exhibits from 1:40-2:15 p.m. All exhibits will feature browsing and the historical "wax figures" will come to life when a crowd member pushes their button. Can't wait to see what great things we can learn at the ECS Living Wax Museum. See you there.

The Great Mystery Food Box Challenge

We wrapped up an interesting research unit on the Food Plate and nutrition by hosting our very own Mystery Food Box competition with our 2nd graders this week in library class. After studying what makes up the food plate, the different food groups, and servings needed in each group, students were placed in groups and given a mystery box. The box contained items from each food group. Students were given seven minutes to build a food robot with only one item per food group. After the competition, students were required to explain the robot while detailing the group each food belonged in. It was a messy, fun time of learning.

Research, Research, Research

With the shift to common core standards, we are using our library time even more this year for research projects. Currently, 2nd graders are studying nutrition, 3rd graders Evansville history, 4th graders energy, and 8th graders will begin the Holocaust next week. It is interesting and exciting for me to uncover new tools for these subjects. My favorite part of it all is watching students

as young as 2nd grade working together to learn new things while employing the very basics of research. It is never too early or too late to learn something new.

Here We Go Again!

Well, here we are again. The 2012-13 school year is underway and we are excited to begin the year with STAR testing all students in grades 1-8 to see how their reading has progressed throughout the past few months. Beginning of the year testing validates even more to those of us in the literacy community the value of summer reading. Students who spend time reading during the summer seem to have a bit of an edge over those who take a hiatus from books. The 2012-13 year brings with it some new and exciting plans for the library/media center. The year's first big event will be our fall book fair. The fair is Sept. 18-21 and will be held at both North and East Campuses in conjunction with our Grandparent's Day Celebration. In November, we will have our first ever Living Wax Museum. We look forward to our students learning about important figures in history while using their talents in reading, writing, and acting. The big event is scheduled for Nov. 9.

Currently, we are taking orders for our new ECS Library Shirts. The shirts are on sale between now and Sept. 1. Sign ups are located in the ECS copy room. Hope to see many people supporting our library by wearing these shirts.

Busy Times, Busy Times.....

April and May seem to pass in a blur for the media center staff. We host one of our two largest events in April, work hard to finish all research projects, and begin our yearly inventory. During it all, we find extremely cherishable moments as we see students having fun, families fellowshipping, and, in it all, God showing up. Our Spring Literacy Week came to a successful end with the raising of over $3,000.00 for the Henryville School Library Reconstruction fund, a book fair that brought in over $7,500.00 in sales, and a highly attended Family Literacy Reading Luau that had families doing everything from a fun photo booth to competitive A.R. testing. In the midst of these activities, we completed the fourth grades' second cooperative project where they wrote puppet scripts, learned the basic of puppeteering, and performed shows for Kindergarten and Pre-K students. Well, 2011-2012 has been quite a ride; and, hey, I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks for all your support of the media center.

Thoughts on The Hunger Games

Recently, the series The Hunger Games has been a hot item both in the theater and in our library. A few parents have asked our opinion and recently, Miss Foltz, an ECS teacher, read the first book and wrote the following review:

The Wages of Lying

I just finished reading "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins. A student asked me, "What did you think of it?" I told her that I would need to think about it for a while. Any book that is thought provoking has value in deliberation, so I present this spoiler-free opinion below for discussion.
When someone asks me about a book, one of the first thoughts I have is how the book made me feel? I definitely felt adrenaline. The characters were emotionally gripping. Some scenes were strikingly horrific. At the end, I felt hopelessness for the future of the characters. Suddenly, I realized why.
Everyone lies and no one repents. Each of the named characters lies to others. The first eight characters that are named in the book lie to at least two others. (Well, we have no record of Prim or Madge lying, but they don't have much time to talk.)
Lies always lead to destruction. The fall of Panem is well foreshadowed. No society built on lies can survive. History has demonstrated this. The conscience craves truth. Governments should be designed for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. So, what will happen to those who believe the lies of the government. What will happen to those who don't believe, but have nowhere else to turn for truth. In one of history's most ancient epic poems, Iyyov said that those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. The second thing I think about is how I like the book. "Hunger Games" is a fantasy book because the few explanations given for the grand technologies are dubious. Several of the technologies have macabre implications. The gene puddle of the closed society has other disturbing potentialities.
Thirdly, I thought about a student reading the book. The book poses but does not answer questions about obedience to authorities, honoring parents, expectations of leaders, emotional responses, personal modesty, purposeless existence, rationale for killing, conformity to public opinion, and the consequences of lying. Students who have the discernment to strive to answer these questions could benefit from reading this book.
My final conclusion is that I will finish the series so that I can use it as a discussion starter. I will probably not reread it due to the lack of profound articulation of applicable truth. I think "Hunger Games" is a thought provoking, gruesome fantasy about the wages of lying on a personal and national level.

It's a Reading Luau

Spring is here and with that comes our annual spring book fair. The fair will be held April 17-19 with special family night activities on April 19. It will be a fun evening with competition A.R. testing, the book fair in the front foyer, tropical snacks, and crafts. The event runs from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and is drop in. The book fair itself will run from 8:15 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. daily. Check out information about the fair at: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/ecslibrary10

New Library T-Shirts

Teachers: Spring library t-shirt orders have now begun. Please sign up on the form in the teacher mailroom. Money is due to the school office no later than March 21. These are great for spirit wear on Fridays.