Grade 2 - 3 Read Aloud
From Kirkus Reviews: The two-time Caldecott winner continues the didactic vein of Just a Dream (1990). Captain Hope records the eerie events during a voyage of the Rita Anne. His crew is hard-working and ``accomplished in other ways''--they enjoy reading, music, and storytelling. Even so, after they stop on an island and bring back a mysterious rock with one smooth face that gives off a ``peculiar light,'' the men do nothing but watch it. Mesmerized, they sit transfixed until they are transformed into apes who don't even help when the ship is disabled in a storm. So, fortunately, is the stone, and Hope finds that the men are gradually returned to themselves as he reads to them. The artist's elegantly structured, richly shadowed paintings suggest more enigmatic depth than the story delivers, while the starkly boxed text interrupts the visual flow of each spread. Even so, a handsome setting for a valuable message, presented with some imagination and humor. (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

READ ALOUD GRADE K - 1
Book Description: When Mama Bear decides her family spends too much time in front of the TV, she bans it for a week. Then the Bear family finds other ways to have fun and keep busy, so they watch less when TV is allowed again--and they don't even miss it.

Grade 3-6 Read Aloud for Turn Off TV Week:
From School Library Journal: A cautionary tale that will appeal to anyone who believes in the power and magic of books. When the town of Triple Creek first built a huge TV tower, Aunt Chip took to her bed, promising, "there will be consequences." Now, 50 years later, the townspeople are so obsessed with their televisions that they are oblivious to everything else. Of course, people still "use" books-as furniture, to fix crumbling walls, to patch up tattered roofs-but no one knows how to read. Finally, Aunt Chip, who used to be the town librarian, pops out of bed to do something about it. Beginning with her nephew, Eli, she teaches the children to read. Hungry for books, they take them from wherever they can be found. When Eli and his friends pluck a copy of Moby Dick from the dam, they unleash a wall of water that destroys the TV tower and changes the future of the town. A master storyteller, Polacco flavors this modern fable with the language and cadence of a traditional tall tale. Filled with amusing details, interesting characters, and unexpected twists, this enjoyable story clearly makes its point without seeming heavy-handed. In perfect harmony with the text, the illustrations add dimension and resonance to the words. Enslaved by TV, Triple Creek is colored in dismal grays and imprisoned by imposing power lines. Afterwards, the town is blooming, bustling, and brightly colored. Watch out. Polacco's passion for books and reading is contagious.?Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Check out this Cool Video of a Guy Juggling to the Beatles via Google
Bliss Diss - Juggler 5 ball routine

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. -Groucho Marx

Television is a chewing gum for the eyes. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Break Free of TV-
TV-Turnoff Network

TV-Turnoff Week 2006
April 24 - 30, 2006

Our National Library Week Staff Trivia Contest Winner: Ms. Susan Rosen
Congratulations Sue!

Dr. Cassel reads to 1C:
Atlantic by G. Brian Karas.
They were a terrific audience and really enjoyed having "the owner" of the school read to them!

MYSTERY READER: 4D

Today Elmo did a fantastic job reading Hudson Talbot's Sword and the Stone to 6W. It is a wonderful story of Arthur becoming king and Elmo read straight for 40 minutes to an enthralled audience. Then Leah did a wonderful job reading to KC a clever story Tiny's Big Adventure. Everyone really enjoyed having "a big kid" read aloud!!

MYSTERY READER

reads to KC

Mystery Reader

reads to 6W

Whew-busy day Monday with great readers. Zach read Arthur's pet business / Marc Brown. Boston : Little, Brown c1990 to Mrs. VanBaaren's class. They really enyed it-GREAT Job! Evan read Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Illustrated by Ray Cruz. New York, Atheneum,1972 to 1H. He really knew this book and read it with FEELING-terrific!

THE MYSTERY READER
reads to 1H

National Library Week off to a Great Start with 6th Grade fans & Library Helpers reading to all classes-VERY BRAVE. Eli read Master man : a tall tale of Nigeria / retold by Aaron Shepard ; illustrated by David Wisniewski to 6S : very cool! Then Taylor read Little red ink drinker / story by Eric Sanvoisin ; illustrations by Martin Matje ; translated by Georges Moroz to 5M- good job! All completed scavenger hunts for "deluxe" prizes!

STAFF LIBRARY TRIVIA CONTEST: Post answers by Thursday, 4/6/06 PRIZES

1) The White House Library was established by which President's wife?
a. Martha Jefferson
b. Abigail Powers Fillmore
c. Abigail Adams
2) The marble lions who stand guard over the entrances to the New York Public Library are named
a. Leo and Leonora
b. Patience and Fortitude
c. Rex and Regina
3) What is the oldest national library in the world?
a. The National Library of Russia
b. The National Library of France
c. The National Library of Austria
4) The oldest library in the Americas is in which country?
a. United States
b. Canada
c. Mexico
5) This person established the first PUBLIC library
a. Julius Caesar
b. Asinius Pollio
c. Mark Anthony
6) The first circulating library (checked out books to patrons) in the United States
was founded by
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Benjamin Franklin
c. John Adams
7) The Army Medical Library became what great library?
a. Library of Congress
b. Library of the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army
c. National Library of Medicine

CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK: April 2 - 8, 2006
* Lots of activities and events in SLMS*

LIBRARY TIDBITSSocrates Quote/ / Humor for librarians

"Students visit school library media centers some 1.7 billion times during the school year - about twice the number of visits to state and national parks."

Americans make some 3.5 billion visits to school, public, and college libraries each year - about 3 times the attendance at movie theaters."

"A recent Colorado study found that the highest achieving students come from schools with good library media centers."

Americans spend nine times as much on home video games ($1.5 billion) as they do on school library materials for their children."

YOUTH TODAY by Socrates, 450 B.C.(I guess life was no different even in Ancient Greece...)
"Our youth love luxury. They have bad manners and contempt for authority. They show disrespect for their elders and love idle chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants not the servants of the household. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food, and tyrannize their teachers"

CARTOONS
"Excuse me, I'm lost. Can you direct me to the information highway?"

Overheard outside the library: "They've got this great software. They call them paperbacks!"