tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83918086772797867142024-02-07T16:18:14.017-08:00Marshall Lane Library BlogMrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-26416827005753150652014-02-11T20:09:00.001-08:002014-02-11T20:09:36.351-08:00Make new friends but keep the old...Hello all my Marshall Lane Buddies!<br />
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I've opened a new blog for <a href="http://campbellmslibrary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Campbell Middle School</a>. Please check it out, though there's only one entry so far so not much to see. <br />
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I'm going to hang on to this blog for a little while. I may pop in and drop some news now and then. But mostly I'll be posting on the CMS blog from now on so follow me there. I've opened a CMS Library Facebook page as well so if you feel so moved, z<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CambellMSlibrary" target="_blank">ip on over there </a>and like it if you don't mind.<br />
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My twitter is still the same, @MrsLibearian, so you can follow me there if you prefer. <br />
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See? I haven't gone far! Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-11075230603654687312014-02-07T15:55:00.001-08:002014-02-07T15:55:29.555-08:00"You're our bookshelf of happiness...that will soon be gone"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well. This is it. Today was my last day as Marshall Lane's Library / Media clerk. I feel so lucky to have been a part of the Marshall Lane family for 13 years in the library and as a volunteer before that. I was so genuinely touched by the outpouring of love and affection I received from the students, the teachers and the parents. Sometimes I can't believe I'm going. But I am. On Monday I will be the new Information Resource Specialist at Campbell Middle School. <br />
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I brought home a box of cards and notes and class books and gifts that I received today. On a day to day basis, I realize that what I do is important. I'm passionate about it because I believe it's important and can only hope that I can make a small difference for some of the kids that pass through my library. Reading all the notes that students have written me shows me that I have had some impact on my students. Apparently, I'm doing something right. <br />
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On my drive home this afternoon, there were so many things I wanted to say here. Now that I sit in front of the computer, I'm not sure what it is I want to say anymore. I don't want to be sad. I'm going to miss everyone terribly, but I don't want to be sad. Also, I have a cold and it's clouding my mind.<br />
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I've learned so much in my years at Marshall Lane. I had very little experience when I started this job. I had just been a library volunteer. I thought it would be a great little job to have while my kids were in school. As it turned out, I loved the job. I wanted to learn more about it. So I learned as much about it as I could on my own and the more I learned the more I loved it. Then, when NCLB was put in place and suddenly, everyone had to prove they were "highly qualified" to perform there jobs, those of us who did not have college degrees were required to take a test. Well I was so insulted and indignant that I went right out and earned an A.S. degree in Library and Information Technology. I'm not sure what I was trying to prove or to whom I was trying to prove it but take that, NCLB!<br />
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Of course, once I started taking classes, I found out how much I didn't know, and I was humbled.<br />
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I feel like I'm meandering here. But I guess it's my blog, I can meander if I want to. <br />
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Anyway. The point is that the last two weeks have filled my heart with so many emotions, mostly love. Marshall Lane will always be in my heart and I won't be far away. My email remains the same!<br />
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I promised all the kids that I would come back to visit on Friday, and I mean it. I will. Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-63878352909397314762014-01-29T19:34:00.000-08:002014-01-29T19:34:20.016-08:00Change is a-comin'I don't know if I have any loyal readers. I like to think that I do. So I'm going to address this blog post to you, my loyal readers. I think most people have heard that I have accepted the library position at Campbell Middle School. My last day at Marshall Lane will be Friday, February 7. <br />
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I know this seems sudden. That's because it was. I had no plans to change jobs a couple weeks ago. I love my job at Marshall Lane. And although I could have done it forever, deep down, I knew that I wouldn't. I had always thought about moving to one of the middle schools if the library job opened up but that never seemed likely. Then suddenly, the librarian at CMS gave notice. It was a shock to me and the other library clerks in the district when our colleague quit.<br />
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And then there it was. The Opportunity.<br />
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At first, I told myself I would apply just out of curiosity. I said things like 'even if they offer it to me, it doesn't mean I have to take it.' But then they did offer it me. And I thought 'oh, what have I done?' I asked for time to think about it, but I think I already knew I was going to say yes. Mr. Richards said "If you didn't want it, you wouldn't have applied." Of course, he's right.<br />
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And so for the last three days I've been telling teachers, students and parents that I'm leaving for another school. And it's breaking my heart. Each class I tell my news to answers back "No!" and it makes me cry. I'm crying now as I write this. I'm so terribly sad to leave this place. I've spent the last 13 years building this library into the best it can be, building relationships with the staff, getting the right books in to students' hands and I'm so proud of what I've done here. <br />
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But I also believe that every student in our district deserves a library as good as ours at the very least. If I can do for CMS what I've done for Marshall Lane, perhaps we can set a new standard for all the libraries in the district. It's a lofty dream, I know, but a worthy one. I plan to advocate for our library clerks to work a full school day so that the library is accessible to all students and teachers throughout the day, and to have a budget to buy new materials.<br />
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Anyway, I hope that helps you understand why I'm going. I'm not sure what will happen to this blog yet. It's registered to me so I will probably just change the name and it will become the Campbell Middle School Library Blog. I'm looking forward to reading some YA literature but I'm sure going to miss the picture books.<br />
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Here's some more Fuzzy-Grams to make me cry some more:<br />
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"Thank you for organizing the books in the library. Also thank you for helping us find books to read."<br />
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"You have been our librarian for so long and I appreciate it. Thank you."<br />
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"Thank you for helping out the library. I love to read."<br />
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"You are such a kind and helpful librarian. You're very patient with other kids and you always have a positive attitude. Thank you so much for being our school librarian."<br />
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And that's all I can take.<br />
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I love you guys.<br />
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-59838428437119494642014-01-22T15:54:00.000-08:002014-01-22T15:55:02.968-08:00The Invisible Boy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This book came in the last shipment of books from Junior Library Guild that I received during book fair. I'd finally gotten those books processed and shelf ready and I picked this one up because the title caught my attention.<br />
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The first page made me laugh out loud. It was the kind of laugh one laughs when the truth is called out. It read "Can you see Brian, the invisible boy? Even Mrs. Carlotti has trouble noticing him in her classroom. She's too busy dealing with Nathan and Sophie." What educator can't relate to that? And I bet there are many students who can relate to Brian's point of view. <br />
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The story goes on to break your heart. Brian doesn't get picked for either of the kickball teams at recess. Brian doesn't get invited to parties. But Brian can draw and loves to do so. <br />
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Then a new student, Justin, comes to Brian's class and here is where the story heals your broken heart. A simple act of kindness on Brian's part to make Justin feel welcome changes things for Brian. Justin returns Brian's kindness and Brian is no longer invisible. We see the transformation as Brian changes from a simple black and white drawing into a full color illustration. <br />
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This story is beautifully told and it doesn't feel preachy or teachy. It's a simple tale of how kindness can affect both the giver and the receiver. It's absolutely lovely and I recommend it for everyone.<br />
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Speaking of simple acts of kindness, here's a quote from one of my Fuzzy-Grams:<br />
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"To Mrs. Richards- You are such a wonderful librarian. My favorite hobby is reading and I love coming to the library at recess."<br />
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-84128057054375120282014-01-11T11:51:00.000-08:002014-01-11T11:51:00.272-08:00Awesome Box is Awesome!After a bumpy first two days, I was finally able to properly launch the Awesome Box. I'm very pleased to say that it was enthusiastically received by the students. In fact, many students went to the shelves to pull their old favorites and put them in the Awesome Box! <br />
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Many of the titles in the Awesome Box are not surprising. It's chock full of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Geronimo Stilton and Captain Underpants. The books that get checked out all the time. But what I get really excited about are the other books that are kind of sleepers. Titles like Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson. I love this book but it doesn't circulate much. I'm so glad that there is a child out there who thinks this book is awesome and now other kids will know it's awesome too! Also, The Glorious Adventures of the Sunshine Queen by Geraldine McCaughrean. This is a new book that has only been checked out once or twice but now I know it's awesome and I'll have to read it.<br />
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I was also surprised by how many non-fiction titles popped up in the Awesome Box. Books about magic tricks, fossils and volcanoes. <br />
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And to top it all off, the Superintendent happened to be visiting our school this week and the principal brought him by the library. He seemed very impressed with the Awesome Box and made sure that I would share the idea with the other library aids. Which I will. <br />
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It's been a good week in the library. I received some "Fuzzy-Grams" from a 5th grade class. Fuzzy-Grams are notes you send to people to make them feel warm and fuzzy. They are the best! I'm going close this post and future posts with quotes from my Fuzzy-Grams. Be sure to check out the <a href="http://marshalllane.awesomebox.io/" target="_blank">Awesome Box!</a><br />
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"Thank you for keeping a safe place to learn and read. I love our school library" - 5th grade student.Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-80838944960657505162014-01-07T14:12:00.000-08:002014-01-11T11:51:49.515-08:00Awesome BoxI intended to kick off our new Awesome Box on Monday but I had some technical issues that were finally resolved today. So, tomorrow, I will be promoting our new Awesome Box during library time. <br />
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The Awesome Box is where students can return books that they think are really awesome, books they think everyone should read because of how awesome they are. When these books are returned, they are scanned twice, once to check them in, and once again to add them to <a href="http://marshalllane.awesomebox.io/" target="_blank">Marshall Lane's Awesome Box website</a>. Go there now to see what's recently awesome! </div>
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The cool thing about this site is that you can click on one of the awesome books and it will take you right to the library catalog so you can find it in the library. So awesome!</div>
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I think this will be a really fun way for kids to quickly recommend their favorite books to their peers. Of course, teachers can put books in the awesome box as well!</div>
Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-76928970176911381622013-12-18T14:09:00.000-08:002014-01-11T11:51:32.551-08:00Something awesome is coming to the library!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-76555074418592363522013-12-06T10:47:00.001-08:002013-12-06T10:54:18.278-08:00Dispatch from the Hidey HoleScholastic Book fair has arrived at Marshall Lane. The kids have been visiting the library to preview the book fair and make their wish lists. I'm very excited about this fair because there are so many wonderful new books! I've already filled three boxes with books for the library. Some highlights include Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel, the Harry Potter boxed set with new illustrations by Kazu Kibuishi, the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney, and my new favorite picture book A is for Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan with illustrations by Matthew Myers, who was the illustrator of <a href="http://mlaneliblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/today-is-very-special-day.html" target="_blank">Battle Bunny</a>.<br />
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Here's me in my hidey hole in which I will be cataloging all of these fabulous new books next week:<br />
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Don't forget that Wednesday evening is family night at the Scholastic Book fair at Marshall Lane. I will be a guest reader that evening along with some of your favorite teachers and the principal. I'll be reading A is for Musk Ox so be sure to come out and say 'Hi!'</div>
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-38262811398874588392013-11-19T19:45:00.002-08:002013-11-19T19:46:00.888-08:00More on Battle BunnySo we got to meet the authors of Battle Bunny a couple weeks ago, but what about the illustrator Matthew Myers? How did he make those pictures and then deface them? Here is a video explaining just that:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/W5tcduZJQx0" width="420"></iframe>Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-16855010523245223102013-10-29T19:20:00.000-07:002013-11-19T19:46:59.470-08:00Today is a very special day!Wow, where do I start? <a href="http://www.jsworldwide.com/" target="_blank">Jon Scieszka</a> and <a href="http://macbarnett.com/" target="_blank">Mac Barnett</a> came to our school! As I was standing in the back of the multi-purpose room watching their presentation, I suddenly had a moment of "Wow! These guys are at my school!"<br />
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They arrived an hour early and had a nice Togos lunch waiting for them. And also some ninja bread men cookies that I had made.<br />
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Teachers had an opportunity to chat with the authors and after lunch we toured the library. They got to see my author photo wall, on which they spotted themselves and several of their friends. They stopped to say hello to Mrs. Gaither's class who were in the library at the time and then it was off to the multipurpose room for the presentation.<br />
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Mr. Scieszka spoke first. He shared many stories from his childhood growing up with 4 brothers, including how his brother Greg broke his collar bone 5 times. Then Mr. Barnett took a turn and ended up on an extended rant about Scooby and Scrappy Doo. They took some questions from the students but the students were eager to hear about their new book Battle Bunny.<br />
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The premise of Battle Bunny is that a boy named Alex receives from his grandmother a super sweet book called Birthday Bunny as a birthday gift. Alex decides the book does not suit his taste, so he 'improves' it. So, essentially, Mr. Scieszka and Mr. Barnett wrote 2 books. First, they wrote Birthday Bunny, which was illustrated by Matthew Myers. Then, they went back and wrote Alex's version - Battle Bunny with additional illustrations. The book is hilarious and really gets the kids where they live. The authors read a portion of the book simultaneously, with Mr. Barnett reading Birthday Bunny and Mr. Scieszka reading Battle Bunny. They then asked the students to come up with their own Bunnies and they came up with a Vampire Bunny, Volcano Bunny, Scooby Doo Bunny, and Mac Barnett Bunny, to name a few. <br />
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After the presentation, students were able to get their books signed and talk to the authors.<br />
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And of course, I got another picture to add to my author wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrcvJE_fAi9VbIuDLeZaeNzV_fx2zj0tNel_jVVTV8gTzS4u_QmrSa6_di-ckI1Dp_DCJp-LAQo2mkmAOGeXEm1btexLOhOyocrkBH0tFxvnY_mtEMrRTcX66auwSEIH8nCDdvIjdC0A/s1600/IMG_3156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrcvJE_fAi9VbIuDLeZaeNzV_fx2zj0tNel_jVVTV8gTzS4u_QmrSa6_di-ckI1Dp_DCJp-LAQo2mkmAOGeXEm1btexLOhOyocrkBH0tFxvnY_mtEMrRTcX66auwSEIH8nCDdvIjdC0A/s320/IMG_3156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Then the day was over and they were off to <a href="http://www.hicklebees.com/" target="_blank">Hicklebee's Children's Bookstore</a> for their next appearance. <br />
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I'd like to thank Miss Valerie and Miss Katherine of Hicklebee's for giving Marshall Lane the opportunity to host these fabulous authors. It makes me so happy that our students were able to experience this. <br />
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I'd also like to thank all my wonderful library volunteers who covered the library at lunch time and helped keep the event running smoothly and especially Miss Ronda who set up the sound system, directed traffic in the multi-purpose room and got Miss Katherine out of the parking lot. <br />
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And finally, I'd like to thank Mrs. Spencer, our principal, for organizing lunch and giving up her parking space.<br />
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Be sure to check out <a href="http://mybirthdaybunny.com/">mybirthdaybunny.com</a> for some free downloads and more information.<br />
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Yes, it truly was a special day.Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-83636412871714831192013-10-23T18:10:00.000-07:002013-10-23T18:10:13.035-07:00Battle Bunny is coming!Look what I've got in my hot little hands on!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aEkePrEw-AcmhoRxOUFQCLForLVucz6gAAFpsbQ9eiOz2fL4H2BWwXAcoquSMp4XjNo5qz94b_Qqo5MhpFf3FfJE5_S98WNDv-1R7PPTZ7iBju5LPu2pwhsrG1UQHTY54m50VwlGbsc/s1600/IMG_3144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aEkePrEw-AcmhoRxOUFQCLForLVucz6gAAFpsbQ9eiOz2fL4H2BWwXAcoquSMp4XjNo5qz94b_Qqo5MhpFf3FfJE5_S98WNDv-1R7PPTZ7iBju5LPu2pwhsrG1UQHTY54m50VwlGbsc/s320/IMG_3144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are the books to fulfill the pre-orders. Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett will be at Marshall Lane next week!! I am literally having dreams about this happening. Worry dreams that something will go wrong. I wake up in the middle of the night and make to do lists. Anyway, it will be great!<br />
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And while you're waiting for them to arrive, here is a terrific <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Mac-Barnett-Jon-Scieszka-s-Bunny-kids-book-4917675.php#photo-5350374" target="_blank">article</a> about the book and its authors.<br />
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Here is a <a href="http://mybirthdaybunny.com/" target="_blank">link to the Birthday Bunny website</a> that was mentioned in the above article. You can download pages from the book and do your own reworking of this super sweet story.<br />
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Jon and Mac will be appearing at Hicklebee's Tuesday afternoon at 3, in case you miss them at Marshall Lane. Go to <a href="http://www.hicklebees.com/" target="_blank">Hicklebee's website</a> for more information (and to see who else is coming soon!)<br />
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If you haven't sent your pre-order in, you'll want to do this by Friday. If you need an order form, I have extras in the library and there's also extras in the office. Don't miss out on the opportunity to have this fantatic, hilarious book signed by both its authors!<br />
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-26005677572318126132013-10-09T16:22:00.000-07:002013-10-09T16:22:36.956-07:00I'M SO EXCITED!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80ebU3o0f-1Pgvwrmw1Mr-tsEZ6S3XyXe5cgFSIh1vedy5CXkEYzbuNgC4BxKTkUEMMBe2CTyfKGuqxE_YSGZmy6yaAF7PAwoKV8djnJ7Sht2YLLs8AV9xN18vsp9_9OGEuKLYz2_pIE/s1600/9781442446731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80ebU3o0f-1Pgvwrmw1Mr-tsEZ6S3XyXe5cgFSIh1vedy5CXkEYzbuNgC4BxKTkUEMMBe2CTyfKGuqxE_YSGZmy6yaAF7PAwoKV8djnJ7Sht2YLLs8AV9xN18vsp9_9OGEuKLYz2_pIE/s200/9781442446731.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
Today, my loyal readers, my dream has come true! Thanks to the best bookstore in the world <a href="http://www.hicklebees.com/" target="_blank">Hicklebee's Children's bookstore</a>, none other than <a href="http://www.jsworldwide.com/" target="_blank">Jon Scieszka</a> and <a href="http://macbarnett.com/" target="_blank">Mac Barnett</a> are coming to Marshall Lane!<br />
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Mr. Scieszka and Mr. Barnett have written a book together called Battle Bunny which will be coming out October 22. Now I got very excited when I found out that these two amazing authors had collaborated on a book so when Hicklebee's called me this morning to see if we could host them I nearly spontaneously combusted! If you have been following my blog at all, you'll know how much I adore these two authors (and how I have stalked them, check the tags!)<br />
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Here's a book trailer of Battle Bunny.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XzWbWFlfM9g" width="420"></iframe><br />
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I can't wait to read this book!<br />
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So you know them when they come, this is Mac Barnett. He wrote Extra Yarn, The Brixton Brothers Mysteries, Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem, and Chloe and the Lion among others.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEPPUeqPFfEjk1ySe2g8pA6Eja-O_-BtTEkr0l7e5FyIHNFznd_JtuFxrThiSxZvnT1r0i2E_sMnn9w7IKWsVHnHCZmR_CxtBKYPfJaMzlGpXuzqeg3d29fdNOpfpoDOdsRkXSMsEt2U/s1600/Mac_Barnett_authorphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEPPUeqPFfEjk1ySe2g8pA6Eja-O_-BtTEkr0l7e5FyIHNFznd_JtuFxrThiSxZvnT1r0i2E_sMnn9w7IKWsVHnHCZmR_CxtBKYPfJaMzlGpXuzqeg3d29fdNOpfpoDOdsRkXSMsEt2U/s200/Mac_Barnett_authorphoto.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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This is Jon Scieszka. He wrote The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, The Spaceheadz Trilogy, and The Time Warp Trio series, plus more!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsazXaNvy_TjJ3l-l9HiXU-UvBokB0Qh_c4R0AfrU59r2J8Bg9ik2rLT9NgsEgvlic47wQnLCh0eQDIKhX_ysfD8KJYimrg5XzAdiSOq5b6haG6YZI1Nsbhu5L-d1vK5L8QBCn9EbnQNY/s1600/Smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsazXaNvy_TjJ3l-l9HiXU-UvBokB0Qh_c4R0AfrU59r2J8Bg9ik2rLT9NgsEgvlic47wQnLCh0eQDIKhX_ysfD8KJYimrg5XzAdiSOq5b6haG6YZI1Nsbhu5L-d1vK5L8QBCn9EbnQNY/s200/Smile.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to purchase a copy of Battle Bunny, a flyer will be going home tomorrow for pre-ordering copies of the book or come see me in the library.Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-60819540975744567652013-10-04T18:14:00.001-07:002013-10-04T18:14:28.713-07:00It's Author Stalking Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAceoEwXbAOgzX8uo0vP_A636PW8XIGgi85qfsIfj53CzKbkJO7DvbJGGNBH4L2UJgBKdez1QOUK80S14VRhLRhfaT4v6F3W2-sKnWSqVy17WhrKZgMJVIyQxAHgrqJAnGU6AISVkHj6A/s1600/9780763660406_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAceoEwXbAOgzX8uo0vP_A636PW8XIGgi85qfsIfj53CzKbkJO7DvbJGGNBH4L2UJgBKdez1QOUK80S14VRhLRhfaT4v6F3W2-sKnWSqVy17WhrKZgMJVIyQxAHgrqJAnGU6AISVkHj6A/s320/9780763660406_full.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
Have I told you that Hicklebee's is the best bookstore ever? Today they hosted Kate DiCamillo who on tour for her new book Flora & Ulysses. <br />
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I arrived a bit late thanks to a wrong turn and some road construction so my signing number was 77. This turned out to be not a bad thing because it allowed me some time to read a bit of Flora & Ulysses while I waited. So far, it is absolutely delightful! <br />
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The story begins with a comic which tells the story of what happened when Mr. Tickham gave Mrs. Tickham a vacuum cleaner for her birthday. Comics illustrate parts of the story thoughout the book. <br />
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Flora, who lives next door to the Tickhams, is a natural born cynic who loves to read comics. Ulysses is an unassuming squirrel whom Flora saves from an unfortunate vacuum cleaner accident. Ulysses is not unscathed by the accident and, in fact, is quite changed by the experience. I'm 60 pages in and I can't wait to see what happens next. Here is a picture of Ms. DiCamillo reading the first chapter of the book to a very crowded bookstore.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTC8Nao8tZU8Vh0OSaEfKLdDm5PNpGgPBckBL7cljudng1oKWt5d0USxmPZIgPBJJjJ0IY3X75WGdKye-blTJDYz7YlJutXmr9h4a9pfTDWg4iN-0ZerL6SRat522OUW3fF4NpHM7xtT8/s1600/IMG_3120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTC8Nao8tZU8Vh0OSaEfKLdDm5PNpGgPBckBL7cljudng1oKWt5d0USxmPZIgPBJJjJ0IY3X75WGdKye-blTJDYz7YlJutXmr9h4a9pfTDWg4iN-0ZerL6SRat522OUW3fF4NpHM7xtT8/s320/IMG_3120.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Next week, T. A. Barron, Adam Gidwitz, and Richard Peck will be appearing at <a href="http://www.hicklebees.com/" target="_blank">Hicklebee's</a>. You need to be there!<br />
<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-14169777274168365302013-10-02T17:50:00.001-07:002013-10-02T17:50:22.463-07:00"This book will make you itchy!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglo6Hhyphenhyphen1eM-d8ZJm2FhNu7kyEjqXKz5aJkgayMxVcsxzqTl9s4Y_l6qG_hf41Av7_P1i2jgxWg41LiFwV__rOf_pAI_dra07BLXhJO1loAO6As3O194DxQOlh6InMWmQCB77AjEM1Ttlk/s1600/index.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglo6Hhyphenhyphen1eM-d8ZJm2FhNu7kyEjqXKz5aJkgayMxVcsxzqTl9s4Y_l6qG_hf41Av7_P1i2jgxWg41LiFwV__rOf_pAI_dra07BLXhJO1loAO6As3O194DxQOlh6InMWmQCB77AjEM1Ttlk/s1600/index.aspx.jpeg" /></a></div>
Back from Hicklebee's where David Shannon read his new book <b>Bugs in My Hair. </b>It's the best book about lice you'll ever read.<br />
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David Shannon assures the reader that getting lice is nothing to be ashamed of, it just happens. He does acknowledge, however, that it is miserable and a pain to deal with. The story includes many informational footnotes about how lice have crept into our everyday language. Nitpicking anyone?<br />
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While reading his book, Mr. Shannon donned a giant louse on a headband because, even though lice are really small, when you have them, it feels like they have taken over your life!<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I will be returning to Hicklebee's on Friday because another great author will be visiting. And there will be more great authors next week. Hicklebee's is the best!</span></div>
Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-5929599926945125202013-10-02T14:43:00.001-07:002013-10-02T14:43:15.236-07:00Getting back in the swing of things.Well, it's been a busy beginning of the school year. In fact we are well into it now and I completely forgot to post anything in September! <br />
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It's been very busy in the library so far. My schedule is packed and the library is a very popular destination for students during recess and lunch. This makes me happy and also tired!<br />
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There were two boxes of new books waiting for me when I returned to school and a third one came last week. I've put in an order for 54 more books which should arrive soon. I have lists accumulating titles which will eventually be ordered and the Book Fair is coming the first week of December.<br />
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I want to remind everyone that you can access library resources from home and you can find out more about that by going to the <a href="http://mlane.campbellusd.org/library" target="_blank">Knowledge Center</a> webpage and clicking the links. (If you are reading this from the Knowledge Center page, scroll up and click the links!)<br />
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And now, a little library trivia: The library opened for check outs mid-September and to date 1,637 items have been checked out. The most popular title was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules which was checked out 8 times in the last 3 weeks. <br />
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And now I must away for I'm destined to meet an author at Hicklebee's this afternoon. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.<br />
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Happy reading!<br />
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-15031465109833141462013-08-08T15:58:00.003-07:002013-08-08T15:58:30.098-07:00Summer LearningThis week I've been attending iTeach at Campbell Middle School with about 60 other teachers and support staff. I've been learning a great deal about how to use technology in the classroom and library. It's given me lots of ideas and inspiration and I'm so excited to get back to school and put my new skills into practice. I think it's really going to change the dynamic of library time, especially for 4th and 5th graders. We are finally going to be able to put those iPads to productive use in the library. It's so exciting! <br />
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See you all soon!<br />
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<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-38636121465008683312013-07-02T10:02:00.001-07:002013-07-02T10:02:41.941-07:00Revenge of the Top LibrarianWell, we've arrived at the final story in my collection of second grade stories. This is the longest one and, while I know I shouldn't say this because I love them all, this one is my favorite. It is so inventive and I love that the students incorporated one of their favorite authors, <a href="http://boltcity.com/" target="_blank">Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet)</a> as a character in the story. Incidentally, Kazu Kibuishi <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/06/27/harry_potter_new_cover_prisoner_of_azkaban_gets_new_design_from_kazu_kibuishi.html" target="_blank">has illustrated the 15th anniversary editions of the Harry Potter books</a>. His Amulet series is in constant circulation at the library and are rarely on the shelf during the school year.<br />
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So, without further ado, the final story from my thank you book from room 27.<br />
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The Mystery of the Missing Words</div>
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by Alden, Vibhas, Mysti, Ricky, Erwin, Aarav, and Arshawn</div>
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Once upon a time, there was a librarian named Mrs. Richards. She loved to read and get new books for all the kids at Marshall Lane School. For lunch every day she would eat macaroni and cheese or pizza. </div>
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On Wednesday, Mrs. Richards discovered something wrong. Every one of the books that she was checking in was missing ALL the words. In one of the books, there was a sticky flag note that read, "Sorry, but we had to go." Who wrote that and how could this be?</div>
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She says to herself, "I will have to call in the book detective. I just met Detective Kazu Kibuishi at a book signing. He seemed really nice. Maybe he would come to school to help me find out what happened to all the words." She emails him and he agrees to come on Friday.</div>
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In the meantime, Mrs. Richards puts a "CLOSED" sign on the door and does some investigating on her own. She heads to room 27 where her favorite students are. She asks, "Are you having any problems with your books?"</div>
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All the kids exclaimed, "YES! All the words in our books have vanished!"</div>
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"When I was watching my students read during DIRT, I saw it happening. As he read, the words disappeared right off the page. Each page he read became blank. What is going on?"</div>
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"I am having the same problem in the library. I have called in a detective but he won't be here until Friday morning. I think we're going to have to take all the books away from the kids until we come up with a solution."</div>
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All the kids said, "NOOOOO! Not our books!" but the decision was final. All the rest of the day and all day Thursday, everyone walked around mad, sad, and disappointed. Everyone kept asking, "When will the detective get here?" even though Mrs. Richards had told them it would be Friday.</div>
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Finally, Detective Kibuishi arrives. The whole school is waiting. Everyone even skipped recess to wait for him. Mrs. Richards explained the whole problem and showed him several of the books. </div>
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"Do you know how to cure this problem? Is there a way to fix it or do we have to buy all new books?"</div>
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"No, that would be way too much money. Luckily for you, I've seen this before." He starts to tell Mrs. Richards and the kids how to cure the problem. They decide that Mrs. Spencer needs to make an announcement to the whole school.</div>
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"Boys and girls, we have found out how to solve the mystery of the disappearing words. Each of you needs to take home the books that you have read this past week. When you get home, put the books on your head or under your head while you are sleeping tonight. Detective Kibuishi says that while you are sleeping, the stories will be transferred back from your memories into the books. Check in the morning to see if it worked. If not, try one more night. When the words are back in the books, bring the books back to school."</div>
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That night, all the Marshall Lane kids slept on and with books. In the morning, all the stories were back inside their books! For about five weeks, the kids checked out books and finally, all the books were restored. </div>
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Mrs. Richards was so happy to have all her books back the right way but she had one question. "How do we keep this from happening again?"</div>
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Detective Kibuishi handed her a spray bottle. "Every time a student comes for library time, you must spray them. That way, the stories will stay inside the books."</div>
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Then he handed her a piece of paper with the recipe. "Keep this a secret. I have worked on this and give it only to the best librarians." Mrs. Richards promised to never give out the recipe. </div>
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From this day on, Marshall Lane students were always squirted when they arrived for their weekly library session. They knew it was important to keep stories where they belong.</div>
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Psst. Can you keep a secret? Here is the recipe just in case you ever have this problem at home. </div>
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1 cup of water</div>
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1/2 cup of salt</div>
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2 strands of brown hair</div>
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2 tablespoons of bookworm castings</div>
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2 sheets of paper from "dead" books, shredded</div>
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2 cups of pink oatmeal, pureed well</div>
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Blend and boil, then strain into a spray bottle. Two squirts per child should do the trick. Some kids who have been reading LOTS of books might need three.</div>
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The End</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope you have enjoyed these stories as much as I have. It was such a special treat for me and a great reminder of how important the library is to our students. And as these stories prove, great readers make great writers. These kids inspire me to be give them the best library possible and be the best library tech possible. Thank you room 27!</div>
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Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-67870156936965496642013-07-01T11:55:00.002-07:002013-07-01T11:55:59.429-07:00Son of the Top Librarian and other stories.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUGBO4RUCdPjaOA2bB5kg2kmym8QaW6fWvTC_0rum8ZMkXrIl7zOLNrT7KCh4-iWa8uBrE5xmOnArXwrfZjnYuZB53vYW8lbl5uEHaUvJT4qyA4NqqqR-ZGw67d9pAj5WBaqJ-nwU-U/s259/ocean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyUGBO4RUCdPjaOA2bB5kg2kmym8QaW6fWvTC_0rum8ZMkXrIl7zOLNrT7KCh4-iWa8uBrE5xmOnArXwrfZjnYuZB53vYW8lbl5uEHaUvJT4qyA4NqqqR-ZGw67d9pAj5WBaqJ-nwU-U/s200/ocean.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
Friday night, Mr. Richards and I drove up to San Francisco to see Neil Gaiman who is on his final book tour for his new book The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I got a copy of the book signed and I read it over the weekend. It was a wonderful read. Mr. Gaiman has described it as his most personal work and it is dedicated to his wife, Amanda Palmer. <br />
The story is told through the memory of a seven year old boy who, when life gets difficult, escapes into books. Events from Mr. Gaiman's own childhood are woven into a mythical story starring characters that have lived in his head for a very long time. The scary things that happen in this book are made scarier because they are happening to the narrator as a young boy and the unsettling things that happen, which are not understood by the boy, are more unsettling as they are remembered by the adult. It was a very good book and I wish I hadn't read it so fast. Because now it's over. <br />
But, I get to look forward to his new book for children coming out in September called Fortunately, the Milk. He read a bit of it Friday night and it sounds like a fun story, like if Douglas Adams had ever written a children's book, it might be like this one. <br />
Here is a picture of Mr. Gaiman signing my copy of Ocean, and a copy of Chu's Day for the library.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1V7QN1SXNDtYZhwU1wxtjkNXLUwJ4AzVCuSXDnHLN5FmoFsys670bh_1MPd-fAC3uPUHpP51nSZ2P1n1z2YLiMwEhtaCgvgwcYiO0X2AYLAisrx0ghRVlyzo1QifqUSQukdF0NKKepg/s1600/IMG_2929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1V7QN1SXNDtYZhwU1wxtjkNXLUwJ4AzVCuSXDnHLN5FmoFsys670bh_1MPd-fAC3uPUHpP51nSZ2P1n1z2YLiMwEhtaCgvgwcYiO0X2AYLAisrx0ghRVlyzo1QifqUSQukdF0NKKepg/s200/IMG_2929.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And now, back to second grade stories.<br />
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This one is untitled and it's by Avalon and Bella and it comes with an illustration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzAG_0oe9kp99zSsX5zq6CoPKc1dmyWxiQ37m_3ZDqnmNzUo1nGy7eZSV3AJzVAJVSsdcpOGfLTCYIW3E-v3eZAfKZYNN3DC0N506cmbSGwICXYM1WD3xrOQcKANhY9jaZPOtdpH3hCI/s1600/IMG_2941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzAG_0oe9kp99zSsX5zq6CoPKc1dmyWxiQ37m_3ZDqnmNzUo1nGy7eZSV3AJzVAJVSsdcpOGfLTCYIW3E-v3eZAfKZYNN3DC0N506cmbSGwICXYM1WD3xrOQcKANhY9jaZPOtdpH3hCI/s320/IMG_2941.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once upon a time, there was so much noise in the Marshall Lane School Library that everybody in Marshall Lane needed hearing aids. Then it got so noisy that the hearing aids broke. Then the police station shut down the library until the whole school was quiet. Then three months later, finally the school got quiet. The police station reopened it. Then everybody loved the library and they were always quiet when they were in it.<br />
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The End</div>
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Noise seems to be a recurring theme in these library stories. That was a short one so lets do another.</div>
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The Transforming Mrs. Richards</div>
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by Rachel and Lauren</div>
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One day in the library Mrs. Richards picked up a book about the desert. She said the magic word (which is "library") and was transformed into an extra character in the book. But now she could not get out. She had to do whatever was happening in the story.</div>
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Mrs. Richards was there for one whole night and was getting bored and hungry. Lauren and Rachel happened to come into the library and happened to pick up the book and suddenly, she came out. Poof! Now she is careful.</div>
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From now on, Mrs. Richards teaches all the students to be careful so that you don't get stuck in books!!!!</div>
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The End</div>
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I've always loved the idea of being able to actually go in to books. An idea that I'm sure I got from watching Gumby when I was a kid. (Kids, ask your parents about Gumby!)</div>
<br />Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-74097986190486345202013-06-28T11:14:00.000-07:002013-06-28T11:14:48.692-07:00The Bride of the Top LibrarianAs promised, the next library story as written by a second grader in two chapters. Note: I cannot read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in one library session, as much as I'd like to.<br />
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The Library</div>
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by Kylie</div>
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Chapter One</div>
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One day a new librarian came to Marshall Lane Elementary School. It was a Thursday so Room 27 went to library.</div>
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"Class, today I will be reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Mrs. Richards said. </div>
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After she read the book, she gave Mrs. Moncrief's class their cards. Kylie got The Walking Dead [for those of you raising your eyebrows, I do not have The Walking Dead books in my library], Angelie got Beverly Cleary, and Lauren got Belle the Birthday Fairy. </div>
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Chapter Two</div>
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The next week when Mrs. Moncrief's class [went to the library] all the books were gone!</div>
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"I only have three books," Mrs. Richards exclaimed. "Mrs. Spencer made you wear uniforms and the next day they were gone."</div>
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"Well, let's find clues," Lauren said.</div>
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So they looked and they looked and they [looked] and they, well, you know what I mean. But when they didn't find anything, they called the police. So then they searched and searched and searched and then went to Chase's and Evan's house and they found all the missing books and Chase and Evan reading them.</div>
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"Arrest them," one said. So they returned the books, arrested Chase and Evan and lived happily ever after.</div>
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The End</div>
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Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-6530426998931236332013-06-27T08:54:00.000-07:002013-06-27T08:54:27.325-07:00The Return of the Top LibrarianToday's library story comes from Evan and Chase, who obviously know a lot about their subject.<br />
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The Best Librarian Trips</div>
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At the library there was the best librarian ever known in the century. But one day, THE LIBRARIAN HAS UNTIED SHOES AND SHE TRIPS! When she falls, she breaks her leg and she was sad :(.</div>
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The school will have to get a new librarian. :( But she doesn't want to leave Marshall Lane so she tries tying her shoes but they have knots in them. She trips again. She tries everything she can think of but it's no use!</div>
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Finally she thinks of taking off her shoes. She hopes on top of her hopes. She pulls off her first shoe and slowly takes off her second shoe. She doesn't fall or trip. she walks, walks, walks, and walks. The library OPENS!!!!!!!! :) </div>
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Lesson: Always tie your shoes or if that doesn't work, take them off. Just make sure that your feet don't stink, or that will just be a whole 'nother problem!</div>
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The End</div>
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Tomorrow, a story in two chapters titled The Library.</div>
Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-51832326644587807312013-06-26T13:45:00.000-07:002013-06-26T13:45:17.345-07:00Still more tales from the Top LibrarianToday is two-fer Wednesday. Two short stories written by second graders about their librarian. The first one has no title and I don't know who the author is. Here it is:<br />
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Untitled</div>
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Once there was a librarian that was new to Marshall Lane. When she got there, there was lots of yelling. Nobody could hear anyone, no matter how loud they talked. So they had to shut down the school. <br />
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"I'm not happy about that."<br />
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So they opened up the school and everyone was quiet. Nobody yelled again.<br />
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The End</div>
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This next story, also untitled, is by Alexis and Olivia and reflects the fact that I like to challenge the students to guess how many books are in the library. Also, there is a nice illustration of the bookshelves on fire and me in the computer lab.</div>
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Untitled 2</div>
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Once upon a time, there was a librarian called Mrs. Richards. She has may books. One day, she wasn't in the library, she was in the computer lab. A fire started in the library. It started to grow bigger and bigger. Soon, the books started to get on fire too. Then Mrs. Richards came to the rescue with a fire extinguisher. Most of the books weren't on fire. At least she had lots of books.</div>
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The End</div>
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Next time, a story called The Best Librarian Trips.</div>
Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-72471239574095987552013-06-25T14:05:00.000-07:002013-06-25T14:05:26.717-07:00More stories from the Top Librarian<div style="text-align: left;">
This next story has a very definite bias in favor of room 27. Also, you should know that it is due to recent budget cuts that Marshall Lane's space ship is so small. </div>
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The Librarian Alien</div>
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by Alli</div>
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One day at Marshall Lane School, there was a library. The librarian's name was Mrs. Richards. One day Mrs. Richards accidentally left the library door unlocked after the school day was over. An evil alien was hiding in the custodian's closet. He snuck into the library and started to ruin everything!</div>
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The next day when Mrs. Richards arrived, she saw the alien still ruining things. He was ripping the books, stamping and drooling all over the ripped books, and playing on the computer. When the alien saw Mrs. Richards, he took out his laser gun and zapped everything to his house in space, leaving just a big, empty room and Mrs. Richards just standing there.</div>
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She told all the classes. Nobody cared except room 27. When they arrived for their regular library time, she told them everything that had happened. Finally the kids said, "Well, we could get into a space ship and go get all our stuff back!"</div>
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But then Mrs. Richards said, "I don't think that would work because Marshall Lane's space ship isn't big enough to carry all the stuff. So what's plan B?"</div>
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After thinking about it, the kids said, "Well, maybe we could hop into a space book."</div>
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"That could work. Let's try it." They borrowed a space book from room 27 and counted down: "10 - 9 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - blast off" and everyone jumped into the book. Soon they were all floating in space. They all shouted together, "We can't believe it actually worked!"</div>
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Soon they all found the alien's house. They knew it was his because of all the library things in the yard, including the ripped books. Luckily, he was out, probably causing more evil.</div>
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They went inside. They found a big bag. They put all the library things into the bag and jumped back into the book. One minute later, they where back at school. The bell rang. "Oh no!!!!!!!!" the kids shouted. "Now we can't fix up the library!!!!!" "Hang on." said Mrs. Richards. soon she came back. With millions of dollars! "This is for you for saving the library." "No. This is for fixing the library." said Alli. "YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" said the rest of the class.</div>
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"O.K." said Mrs. Richards. They all went home. The library was fixed the next morning. After that, the alien never returned. And they lived happily for the rest of their life.</div>
Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-68048464062422267492013-06-24T14:54:00.000-07:002013-06-24T14:54:11.626-07:00Thank You, Mrs. Richards, Top Librarian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the end of the school year, I receive lots of nice thank you notes from students which always make me feel good. This year, as a thank you, I received a series of short stories about the library from a second grade class which absolutely delighted me. I'd like to share them with you here. In transcribing them, I took the liberty of correcting some spelling errors. The first one is titled The Library Monster and it was written by Frans. Enjoy!</div>
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The Library Monster </div>
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by Frans</div>
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One day in Marshall Lane School was a librarian named Mrs. Richards who loved books. One hour in school on Monday, Mrs. Richards found a monster. </div>
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"Oh no a monster!" Mrs. Richards shouted. Mrs. Spencer heard her.</div>
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"What?" she said with a sigh.</div>
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"Monster!" Mrs. Richards said.</div>
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"No," said Mrs. Spencer. "It is my dog."</div>
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"Oh, wait, what dog, in a school?"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Yes," said Mrs. Spencer.</div>
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"Why?" said Mrs. Richards.</div>
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"I'm the principal of the school."</div>
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"Oh, yeah, you are. No monsters!"</div>
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The End</div>
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Come back tomorrow for the second story, The Librarian Alien.</div>
Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-7270872162429915602013-06-11T13:13:00.002-07:002013-06-11T13:13:47.874-07:00I've been profiled!My knit designs have been featured on the <a href="http://www.canaryknits.com/2013/06/indie-designer-day.html" target="_blank">Canary Knits blog</a>! Go there and check out some of the other designers who have been featured as well. <br />
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And thanks for the kind words, Canary Knits!Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391808677279786714.post-29352075061540520132013-05-02T12:27:00.000-07:002013-05-02T12:27:33.670-07:00Library Fun FactsOkay, it's the beginning of a new month, time to see what's going on in the library. <br />
<br />
Here are the Top Ten Circulating Titles for the month of April:<br />
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1. We Are In a Book, Mo Willems<br />
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Jeff Kinney<br />
3. Brave New Pond, Jennifer Holm<br />
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal, Jeff Kinney<br />
5. Let's Go For a Drive, Mo Willems<br />
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Last Straw, Jeff Kinney<br />
7. Into the Woods, J. Torres<br />
8. This Is Not My Hat, Jon Klassen<br />
9. Memoirs of a Goldfish, Devin Scillian<br />
10. Listen to My Trumpet, Mo Willems<br />
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Top Ten Search Terms Used on the OPAC (capitalized terms are preset search buttons):<br />
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eBooks<br />
etched in clay<br />
California Missions<br />
monster fight club<br />
brandon<br />
Graphic Novels<br />
big nate<br />
fire star<br />
Most Popular<br />
who was<br />
<br />
Total number of items checked out in April = 1,949<br />
Total number of items returned in April = 2,008<br />
Total number of items put on hold in April = 168<br />
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I stumbled across a report that shows which patron have checked out the most books - which of course I won't post here for obvious reasons - but the list reads like a roster of my lunchtime regulars. One teacher has checked out 232 items over the last year and the one student has checked out 94 items in the last year.Mrs. Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11586694987162426495noreply@blogger.com0