Excuse Me While I Might Already Think About Next Year

Internet, look what I found on Twitter. Click through if you don't see the embedded Star Wars coolness. Geek alert!!!





They have a whole bunch more stuff. No, I won't be getting the R2 hats. I have limits. But also no, I won't trade students' last day of Thursday and mine ... which day next week? I actually am not sure, for an earlier chance to use them.

I HAVE BOOKS TO READ! Apparently all it does around here is rain. They didn't get a low water crossing barricade up in a timely manner this evening. Got stuck in between two when water covered the whole road. But I shouldn't complain. Other areas of TX have had it even worse!

#IMWAYR May 30 Almost #bookaday Edition

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!
Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.

This is my longest update ever. We got a delivery of new books and I actually had a little time at school to read and then with the year winding down and not a lot of planning to do time at home, too. They are not in order of how much I liked them. Just the order I could screenshot from Goodreads.

I will say my favorites have been the picture book biographies.

The Amazing Age of John Ray Lynch

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Little Melba

Trombone Shorty

Seeds of Change

Worst of Friends

Words Set Me Free

Voices of Pearl Harbor

Seeds of Freedom

I always like Steve Jenkins' work.

I wish The Seventh Wish wasn't so necessary. But families are facing more than they ever have before and there are kids that need to know they aren't alone.

Comic Squad mashups are the best!

Dreaming Up A Celebration of Building appeals to the frustrated artist/architectural photog in me. Not sure what the kids will think but I loved it.

Monsters Who Eat Whiny Children is hilarious but it's actually so not for the picture book crowd. Totally missed that in ordering. Oops.

I Don't Like Snakes ... well, I still don't. But the concept was awesome. And kids DO!

The two infographic books were lame. Big disappointment.

Eight Days Gone was surprisingly well done. As was Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More.

The Katie Woo writing books probably won't do a lot for those who don't read the other books. But for those who do they are a good introductory tool to different writing styles.

Pax. Wow. Cool writing. What do kids think of it? 

I actually don't like Apollo too much. He's a jerk. Less so at the end of the book and that is sort of the point. He's going through the trials to grow, right? Just ... full of himself jerk. 

Baby Bear Counts One has beautiful illustrations.

A Perfectly Messed Up Story could be my opening read next year. Take care of books!

The students' last day of school is Thursday. I have a few days into the next week still to go. #bookaday you are SO IN SIGHT!

Finally Friday May 27

As a kid do you know what part of summer was? Monkees reruns (I am not THAT old). Listening. :)


I missed the cupcake truck at school today. :(


I totally want one! Or two. We have two Osmos. We'll see how hard ordering is in the fall. We'll never save enough for new tables if I always give in but new tables versus cool stuff? (Still wanting new iTouches for Google Cardboard and another couple Spheros cause one they fight over too much).


Those silly color chip photos ... I find them soothing. This one is pretty.


I like this! We're mostly doing ChatterKid book reviews (I should post some. They're funny).

Finally Friday May 20

I begin by forcing anyone not on IG to at least a quick preview.

A sampling of some recent kinder and first grade efforts. They KNOW ME! #starwarslibrarian (music clip is Jenny Oaks Baker's Star Wars medley)

A video posted by Angie Oliverson (@msoreadsbooks) on May 20, 2016 at 4:25pm PDT

Yesterday was my birthday. Took a personal day only to have the worst daytime weather (worst storm ever was last Monday night) ever. Any going out plans were scrapped for pjs and a book. Actually ... happy birthday, right? :) Yes. I might be old.


Book Creator. So easy and so cool. I wish I could get more classes in to do things! I saw something about a webinar. I should check up on that.



Had to get my niece to help. Not intuiting the controls very well. Following a wildlife photog in Africa because he talks a lot about photography and shares cool images, an Italian girl that explores London (I WANT TO GO BACK!), some cool book ones, public or university library ones, and one Elem Library (GO YOU).



I admit I pushed play more for the original song than the remake artist (remember ... old?). But then I loved it!



Only keeping Legos sorted. #thestruggleisreal

TBMonday ... Summer Reading Bookmarks

Click on the pic to download the Google Doc pdf file for easy printing and image credits.


  


Do you have a list waiting?

#TBT to a Summer Reading Promo Project

We did this last year. It was crazy but fun. I kind of wish someone would want to do it again.

A good portion of today was spent with a class on what was sort of an "darn it I have no idea" project that is turning out to be kind of fun. "We want to do research. We don't care on what." Well. Not sure how much this counts toward research but we did get some keyword discussion going. And notetaking means HIGHLIGHTS, not every word. And "Cite your pics!"

So far this is the only one who is "done." This was her first draft of the persuasive writing, we didn't do any editing. 

If the other kids finish their writing we'll have an entire book that I will post so they can go back and reference it all summer. I hope they can finish things. Not sure I can continue to spend as much time with them but we shall see. If it works out I will make a better cover and a ToC.

If it looks at all fun to you here's the info. The kids used the new Pic Collage Kids app for the collages. They are working on the writing in Google Docs and sharing it with me. Then I can copy/paste into this Book Creator file.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Been crazy times, right?

I am learning about 3D printing by making lots of mistakes. Learning about designs and how to help kids make good choices (usually by having it turn out wrong first ... but that's OK!). Also about watching for low filament because there's no warning message. And then that when you ask the vendor which filament to buy they may not pay attention to the right size. And trying to restring filament ... it twists and kinks and snaps. Quite a lot, actually. Learning, learning, learning.

Testing the week before all books are due ... makes for younger kids frustrated at why the library is closed. Sunday night I woke up multiple times dreaming I was in a car sinking in water. Crazy. Times. I don't even usually remember dreams. :P Didn't know I was ... having that much fun. And many of y'all get closed a lot for this reason. That is hard!

BUT just got a new bulletin board for the library. Haven't decided whether it will be for book promo or "making." And some bulletin board type strips for the teaching end. I really want to get this but $$$. Bulletin boards don't cost as much. Still afraid things would not get put back (right now I get it out and put it away in the mornings). I should trust, right? Trust!

AND I just signed up for a chalk lettering class. So that will be fun this summer. AND I have so many new books I want to read.

AND I still get to read The Thank You Book (Elephant and Piggie) to lots of classes.

AND these guys are visiting this weekend. I love all 11 of my nieces and nephews. When siblings send me reading related photos it's icing on that cake. #imanaunt

And the Thin Mint Good Humor ice cream sandwiches are excellent. Though not very "clean."

Currently May

Linking up for the last time. Thanks for the fun and the way to meet new people!

Listening: DVR. Didn't get to it last night as I spent waaaaay too much time working on a libguide for a 5th grade research project. That was 90% ignored today as they all wanted to do weird inventions. Ah, well. (And I do see the irony, considering the rest of the post!)
Loving: Tomorrow is Star Wars Day! Not even doing anything as everyone at school "just" wanted to do research (which usually I would love)! Sorry dreams of trivia and origami and clips and read alouds.
Thinking: It took 110 minutes to get to school today. Usually 35-40. The radio didn't say a WORD about a bad slowdown until minute number 103. Grrrrrrr.
Wanting: More time to read! I have so many books! I fall asleep too fast!
Needing: My gym changed up the schedule and the teachers and two of the three classes a week I went to ... changed to kickboxing. That whole "GO GO GO Drop that ball and the whole class has to do burpees!" mentality didn't work for me. So I dropped out with intentions of treadmill and my own workouts. Haven't happened yet. :/
Truth: Nothing deep dark. As so many ... just feeling overwhelmed. So much to do and my brain isn't good at calming down and prioritizing.

May the Fourth be with you!