I came across this in a blog I check from time to time. The deadline is looming (very near) so if you want to submit your favorite title, go to the site now. You will be able to vote in September and again through the fall until Election Day once they narrow down the list. If you missed the deadline, leave a comment with your favorite book of all time. (If you can narrow down it to one, I’ll be amazed!)

A colleague shared a new site, Lookybook, and I saw this and thought I’d share. I love to read this to classes!

Each year, on a Monday in January, the American Library Association bestows the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal and other awards on different books and authors. The Newbery Medal is awarded for story while the Caldecott Medal is awarded for a book’s illustrations. Each Medal has a winner and a few Honor books but we don’t always own every book named for the awards. This year, the announcements were made this morning, we already own the Caldecott Medal winner (The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick) and two of the honor books (Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson and Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems.)  We do not currently own any of the Newbery Medal books but I will look into whether any are appropriate for our school. Happy Reading!

It is not often that we get to have a real author of MANY books that we love come to our school. This is week is a special week that brings Helen Ketteman to our school. We’ve been busy reading Bubba the Cowboy Prince, Waynetta and the Cornstalk and Armadilly Chili to name a few. I can’t to get your comments on her books AND her visit!

Ok, I have a three year old daughter so I read a lot of picture books. The same picture books, over and over and over. We have two picture books featuring the character Fancy Nancy. What I have realized this summer, as my daughter uses words like ecstatic and parfait and surprises her grandparents, is that these books are really good for stretching your vocabulary. If you don’t already know what those 2 words mean, run to the library and read the book! Most picture book authors use great words in their books. There might only be 2 or 3 good vocabulary stretchers in each picture book but that’s 2 more words that you will know when you are in school next year! Has anyone read a book this summer that helped them learn a new word? Tell me your new words! I love words! Anyone who comes back with a new word and can tell me what it means in August will find a surprise waiting for them