Off the bookshelf (oct 09)

Hmmm…October must have been a busy month for doing things other than reading, even with a week off for October Break.  Numerous books started, not so many finished (yet)!

Fiction

• A long way from Chicago: a novel in stories / Richard Peck
• The car / Gary Paulsen
• Eyes of the Emperor / Graham Salisbury
  

Nonfiction

• Three cups of tea: one man’s mission to promote peace — one school at a time / Greg Mortenson and David Relin
• Women daredevils: thrills, chills and frills / Julie Cummins
  

Women daredevils : thrills, chills, and frills

Off the bookshelf (sep 09)

Here’s my reading list for September. In spite of being a busy month both in the library and with school events needing sound/light support,  I found (made!) time to read some books off of the new book shelf that have been on my “to read” list, as well as browsing through the stacks for things that look interesting that I can recommend to others. And being sick in bed over the weekend gave me a good start for the October list, too!

Fiction

• Car trouble / Jeanne DuPrau
• The number devil: a mathematical adventure / Hans Enzensberger
  
• A ship possessed / Alton Gansky
• Vanished / Alton Gansky
• Distant Memory / Alton Gansky
• Airborn / Kenneth Oppel
• Skybreaker / Kenneth Oppel
  
• Dancing Carl / Gary Paulsen
• House of the red fish / Graham Salisbury

Nonfiction

• Blizzard: the storm that changed America / Jim Murphy

Off the Bookshelf (August 09)

Summer break is over and school is back in session…processing and shelving new materials; reading time and library instruction with Grades K through 5;  research projects for middle and high school students; bibliographies to update and/or create; helping teachers find books and videos to use in class; staff meetings; high school class meetings; committee meetings; open houses…life is a bit busier this month! But there’s always time at some point during the day for quiet reflection on how throughout it all, God continually calls us to love Him;  remain focused on His plan and purpose of loving those around us; and draw close and rest in Him.

And there’s always a few minutes at the end of the day for some reading…here’s what I’ve managed to read during August, revisiting some favorites (Alistair MacLean), and discovering new treasures.

Fiction

• San Andreas / Alistair MacLean
• South by Java Head  / Alistair MacLean
• Strange objects / Gary Crew
• There is a wideness / Mark McAllister
  

Nonfiction

• Flights of passage: reflections of a WWII aviator / Samuel Hynes
• Where elephants fight / William Ardill
  

Off the Bookshelf (July 09)

Aaaaah…summer break….time to enjoy a few good books! Our two-month break went by entirely too quickly, but I did manage to read a few books that have been on my list for awhile.  And 500+ books (out of 600+ ordered) arrived mid-July,  about 2 weeks before the start of the new school year, so we’ve been busy finishing up the processing for them and making room for them on the shelves. Needless to say, when new books arrive only once a year, it’s a BIG deal for everyone!

Fiction

• The hobbit / J.R.R Tolkien
• The fellowship of the ring / J.R.R. Tolkien
• The two towers / J.R.R. Tolkien
• The return of the king / J.R.R. Tolkien

Nonfiction

• The hot zone / Richard Preston
  
• Fever: the hunt for a new killer virus / John Fuller

Where has May gone?

Ummm…OK…what happened to May?!? I was delegated to be the AP Coordinator, since it has to be A) someone who doesn’t tech an AP course and B) someone who will be here again next year, since there will be quite a few teachers leaving on furlough this year. So it’s been a busy month so far, administering AP Exams in Computer Science, Calculus, English Lit, Biology, Psychology, World History and Studio Art…a total of 39 exams taken by 21 students. And I didn’t see one look of panic among them as they tackled these 3+ hour exams…impressive! And now we’re into the last 2 weeks of school, so, in the words of Calvin, “The days are just packed!” with everything that needs to happen before the end of school…final class projects, volleyball and soccer tournaments, concerts, exams, awards, more exams, graduation, sendoff parties/wakes…whew!

Since all library books are due this week, and we won’t allow more checkouts until the school year is over and we know who will be around for the summer (so we’ll know the books will be returned), I’ve been reading stories to the Grade 4 and 5 classes and finishing up chapter books with Grades 2 and 3. It’s a lot of fun, since I can dig out my favorite picture books and remind the older kids how much fun they (still) are to read and share, and how much fun it is to hear a story!

Two weeks ago I finished up The Littles (John Lawrence Peterson) with Grade 2, so last week I read them one of my all time faves, The true story of the three little pigs (Jon Scieszka)…it’s too funny! Today I read another up-and-coming favorite, A bad case of stripes (Shannon) to Grade 5, along with finishing up the last few chapters of Chocolate fever (Robert Kimmel Smith) with Grade 3.

Off the Bookshelf (April 09)

April’s installment of what I’ve been reading…for whatever it’s worth. It’s not a very long list since I seem to have spent a lot of time playing bass for the HS musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!” rehearsals and performances…a very worthy and fun distraction! Maybe there’s a few more that I’ve forgotten….if so, I’ll update this post. And May probably won’t be much better with all the activities going on the last four weeks of school, but I have a large stack of books at home with aspirations to read ALL of them!

Fiction

• Solar Flare / Larry Burkett

Nonfiction

• Desert Taxi: the story of an achievement by a veteran London taxi-cab / Michael Marriott
• Betty Greene: wings to serve / Janet Benge
• Damage control: how to stop making Jesus look bad / Dean Merrill

Almost May

May arrives tomorrow, and there are only FOUR more weeks of school! In the meantime, it’s been busier in the library. Today I visited both Grade 8 English classes to tell them about library resources we have that will be useful for the research paper they are starting,and urging them to visit the library FIRST, rather than when they are desperately seeking information the day before their paper is due. I also gave their teacher copies of a a Bibliography Basics handout I created back in February for all classes to help them format their references. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to see their papers when they are completed to see what sort of resources they actually used!

Among “other related duties,” I have been designated the AP Coordinator. Luckily there are others who are experienced w/ the AP Exam process that have been guiding me, but now we’re down to the wire…AP Exams commence next week and run through May 14th. We have 23 students taking a total of 42 exams including Biology, Calculus, Computer Science, Englkish Literature, Psychology, World History and Studio Art. Wow…the next couple of weeks will be intense for these students!

Tomorrow is Worker’s Day, which is basically the equivalent of Labor Day in the US. So no school, although I will be traveling w/ the Grade 9 class (39 students) down to Abuja for an overnight class trip. It’s a 3+ hour bus ride each way…should be an adventure! We will leave @ 7:45am tomorrow and return Saturday afternoon.

And here are a couple of pix of the Grade 4 class from last week showing off the books they have selected to read. They have also been working on finding books in the library the past couple of weeks using a slips of paper that I print for them w/ the call number, author and title, and they have been doing a good job of it.

Grade 4

Grade 4

Rain!

What does rain have to do with the library? Well, if you are here in the library when it rains hard (like it is now), it’s quite a symphony of sound as the tempo of the raindrops tapping, drumming, or even pounding on the tin roof changes every few minutes! Add in the percussion of the thunder rumbling in the distance (or even louder if it’s near), the sounds of the collected rain running off of the roof in waterfalls (most roofs have no gutters, or if there are, they are overflowing), andat this point in time, the library is NOT a praticulary quite place! If you are trying to teach, or even just talk (quietly) to someone across the circulation desk or study table, you would have to be talking loudly to be heard at all….so much for having to “shush” anyone! Toyin’s comment upon returning form lunch was “The rain is serious today!”

Since there were only 7 more weeks of school as of last week, it was a challenge to pick out new books to read with the Grade 2 and 3 classes that we would be able to finish be the end of the school year! In Grade 2, we started “Chocolate Fever,” (Robert Kimmel Smith), and in Grade 3 we jumped into “The Littles” (John Peterson). And if we manage to finish those books up early, I’ll have the opportunity to find some short stories to read aloud!

BTW…if you want to see what the rain can be like here, you can check out the video on our family blog of Cypress out playing in it!

Off the Bookshelf (March 09)

One of the joys of being in a new library is browsing the shelves to see what’s available. Having been in an academic library for the past 12 years, it’s definitely a change to move into a K-12 school library, so I’ve been spending time browsing the shelves trying to quickly become familiar w/ what’s available, and reading as much as I can to “catch up” w/ the contents of a different library. It’s certainly a labor of joy!

Here is a partial list of what I’ve been reading in the past three months:

Fiction:

• City of Ember / Jeanne DuPrau
• Airman / Eoin Colfer
• Seedfolks / Paul Fleischman
• The bad beginning / Lemony Snicket
• The reptile room / Lemony Snicket
• Trouble / Gary D. Schmidt
• Night of the howling dogs / Graham Salisbury

Nonfiction:

• A mind for God / James Emory White
• Reasonable faith: the scientific case for Christianity / Jay L. Wile
• Blue like jazz: nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality / Donald Miller
• The cruise of the Artic Star / Scott O’Dell

Mr. Library Guy

As I walk across the school campus, on my way to/from home and throughout the day, students are always greeting me. Usually it’s, “Hi, Mr. Payne,” or “Hi, Mr. P,” but this week one of the kindergarten kids greeted me with, “Hi, Mr. Library Guy,” which immediately made me laugh. I know I have trouble learning (and remembering) everyone’s name, so I’m (almost) certain that’s what was going on w/ him, but it’s been running around in my head all week, and makes me smile. And it reminds me of Bill Nye, “The Science Guy“…which is good company to be in, I think!

During the first couple of weeks, some Grade 4 boys asked if they could call me “Teacher Payne,” and us e “T.P.” for short (funny guys!), but I put the brakes on that one! It *is* a bit confusing if the kids call out “Hi, Mr. P,” and the HS principle is nearby, since his last name also starts w/ “P” (Mr. Personaire), but we manage.

The kids are definitely becoming more familiar and comfortable w/ me…this week has been a bit more challenging when it comes getting them to pay attention for story time and/or library instruction.

Busy in the Library

Grade 3

Grade 3 Goofy

Pink Day

HS Study Break

HS Study Break