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Preparing for a Virtual Author Visit

Have you ever tried a Virtual Author Visit? Author visits can be so rewarding for students and schools.  I still remember the author’s visit from when I was in elementary school! It’s best to have the classroom teacher as well as yourself read the author’s books to the students before the visit. You can do something similar to One School, One Book (or maybe 2 books to make it more appropriate for the age groups.). Schools gain a community feeling around an author that is visiting. Finding an Author Finding an author to do a virtual visit is much easier than finding one who can travel to your school. Below are some websites I found that should help you get started. These include individual author websites and publisher websites. However, doing a Google search for author visits will be the easiest way to find an author.  Scholastic  Penguin Young
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Caldecott Medal 2022 Predictions

The 2022 Caldecott Medal award winner will be announced in just a few weeks, which means it’s time for my predictions on which book will take home the top prize and who will be runner-up. The ALA awards will be given out sometime in mid-January. Members of the Caldecott committee work hard all year to choose the book they think is deserving of this distinguished award. Members of the committee read thousands of picture books throughout the year. Then they must narrow their choices down to 7 titles each. Once they have this much smaller list, they spend hours debating about which book should receive the top honor. Every year I always come up with my own list of titles that I believe will be contenders. This year I have come up with 15 books that I believe should be on the list (although I have not read nearly
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Tips & Ideas for a Positive Book Checkout

These tips and ideas for a positive book checkout will help keep your school library running smoothly.
Book checkout time can feel like a whirlwind if you don’t have the right procedures in place. But don’t worry because I’ve got you covered! By streamlining this process, you can turn what might be a chaotic moment into a smooth, enjoyable experience for your students. Keep reading to discover my top tips for making book checkout time a breeze and ensuring your students have a positive and fun library experience! Importance of a Positive Book Checkout Checkout time is more than just a routine. It’s a golden opportunity to build strong, meaningful relationships with your students. During this time, our students often share their thoughts on books, seek recommendations, and ask for help finding the perfect read. They might even open up about important events in their lives. This gives you a unique chance to support them both academically and personally. Taking the time to engage in these
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Biography Research Projects

Students need to read and learn about many different types of informational texts, including biographies. A biography research project can combine many important skills besides just learning about the life of an important person, such as: note-taking summarizing and paraphrasing information evaluating information finding the best sources for information organizing information the importance of citing your sources  practice writing informational text Basics of a Biography Teach students the call number  When I teach about biographies in the library, I start by showing students the biography section and pointing out the call number for biographies. I always give my biographies the call number of 92; however, each library is different.  What’s the difference between a biography and an autobiography? I then like to discuss the difference between a biography and an autobiography. A biography usually provides facts about a person from their childhood through adulthood and is written by someone
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Super Simple STEM Activities for the Library

STEM in the library…boy do I get a lot of requests for posts on this! I absolutely love incorporating STEM activities into the library as well as helping classroom teachers come up with fun STEM ideas. What does STEM stand for in case you don’t already know? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Some may also refer to STEAM which adds in art as well. STEM education has become very popular in schools within the last few years. The reason that STEM education has become so popular is because it pushes students to go beyond the typical school subject curriculum and standards. STEM education helps teach students how to solve real-world problems and challenges that they could face in today’s world; Hence, preparing students to be successful in their careers. STEM education can start as young as preschool age! Students should always be exploring hands-on activities and
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Teaching Genre in the Library

These resources and activities will help you when teaching genre in the library.
Who else loves to teach genre to your students? Teaching different types of genres opens the door to lifelong reading. It’s about helping our students pick up books that ignite curiosity. It also shows our students the worlds that exist beyond their own. Understanding genres also connects to writing, helping our students move past the traditional narrative and explore creative possibilities. What is a Genre? Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is a genre? A genre is a category that helps us group books (or any type of story) based on similar themes, settings, or styles. It guides them to books they’ll love based on what they’re in the mood for. Whether it’s a suspenseful mystery, an adventure, or a heartwarming tale of friendship, genres help us organize stories and make it easier for our students to explore new favorites. In the library, genres go beyond fiction. Nonfiction
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Staying Cool in the Library is my blog, where I share my passion for fostering a love of reading with children. As a librarian, I believe reading should be fun and accessible to all students. That’s why I share engaging and interactive lesson plans, creative ways to build exciting library collections, and resources to inspire even the most reluctant readers in any classroom or library. Check out my blog posts and products in my store, and join my email list below.

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