3D Flower Bulletin Board

Here is a cute example of a 3D bulletin board I made for Spring.

Children's Book Week

Last week was Children's Book Week, May 13-19th.  Check out their site here.  There were alot of field trips and testing going on last week, so I'm celebrating Children's Book Week this week!  There is reading, videos to watch, bookmarks to make, reading and much, much more on this site.  Highlight an author or allow the students to book talk their favorite books.

May Calendar of Kids' Books

May 2013 Calendar of Kids' Books

By Elizabeth Kennedy, About.com Guide

This is a great guide to books that can be shared during the year, but especially in the month of May.

Children’s Books and More for May

Through May 5 - Screen-Free Week
• What the connection between Screen-Free Week and children's books?
• Readers Respond: Share your opinion of Screen-Free Week and read the opinions of others.
• Doug Unplugged - This is a good picture book to share during Screen-Free Week.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• Asian Pacific American Heritage Recommended Reading

Get Caught Reading Month
• 10 Ways to Help You Raise Kids Who Love Reading

Latino Books Month
• What is the Pura Belpré Award?
• Current Pura Belpré Award Winners
• The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos
• Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Books for Children and Teens
• Love to Mama

National Bike Month
• Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom

National Egg Month
• An Egg Is Quiet

May 1 - Mother Goose Day
• Mother Goose Rules!
• Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
• Mother Goose Board Books for Little Ones

• 2013 Summer Reading Lists for Kids and Teens

May 12 - Mother's Day
• Children's Books For Mother's Day Gifts
• Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers

May 12-18 - National Transportation Week
• Children’s Books About Cars, Trucks and Diggers
• Katy and the Big Snow

May 13-19 - Children’s Book Week
• What and When Is Children’s Book Week?

May 15 - Birth Date of L. Frank Baum
• L. Frank Baum and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

May 15 - Birthday of Artist and Author Kadir Nelson
• 2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal - Kadir Nelson won the 2009 Sibert Medal for his book We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.
• Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
• I Have A Dream - The artwork of Kadir Nelson illustrates excerpts from Dr Martin Luther King's famous speech.

May 16 - Birth Date of Margret Rey
• The Journey That Saved Curious George
• The Complete Adventures of Curious George

May 20 - Birthday of Author Mary Pope Osborne
• The Magic Tree House Series, Books #1-28 - Here's an overview and reading list of the first 28 books in the series by Mary Pope Osborne.
• The Magic Tree House Series, Books #29 and Up - This article provides an overview of Osborne's later books in the series, which are known as Merlin Missions, as well as a reading list.
• Spotlight on the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Books - Get an overview and a reading list of the nonfiction research guides that serve as companions to Osborne's series.
• An Interview With Mary Pope Osborne - In this interview with Osborne, we discuss her Magic Tree House series, her characters and topics, the companion research guides and her writing process.
• Author Interview About the 20th Anniversary of the Magic Tree House Series - In this interview with Mary Pope Osborne, we discuss the ways in which she is celebrating the anniversary of the series, particularly her philanthropic efforts, including her new Magic Tree House website for educators.
• 20th Anniversary Edition of Magic Tree House, Book #1 - Learn about all of the extras in this special edition of Dinosaurs Before Dark, the first book in the series.
• Magic Tree House Resources for Parents and Teachers: Here's a convenient illustrated directory of all of the Magic Tree House articles, book lists and interviews listed above, plus book-related crafts.

May 25 - National Tap Dance Day
• Oliver Button Is a Sissy

May 27 - Birth Date of Amelia Jenks Bloomer
• The Amelia Bloomer Project

May 27 - Memorial Day
• The Wall by Eve Bunting

Kids' Excuses for NOT Turning in Their Library Books (at the End of the Year)

So here are the top 10 excuses I've heard from students about why they haven't returned their book(s) yet or what  happened to their books.  The # one reason that their book is NOT in their backpack is, "My mother forgot to put it in there."  What???  I always smile and remind them sweetly that this is their job!  OOPS!  They just momentarily forgot it was their job to keep track of their books!
#2: "I forgot it was library day!"  (I have told them over and over, until my head is ready to explode, that they can bring their library books back any day of the week and drop them into the book drop -- anytime, anyday, as long as their teacher says they can come to the library.)
#3:  "It's on my dresser by my bed.  I know where it is."  THEN JUST BRING IT IN!!!
#4:  "It's in a box somewhere, because we moved."  Ugh
#5:  "I turned it into the other library."  OOPS!
#6:  "I loaned it to a friend and she/he promised to turn it in or already turned it in."  NOT!
#7:  "I never checked that book out.  I never would check that book out."  Okay, now it's your word against the computer's word.  Hmmmmmmmmm
#8:  "I already returned it.  I promise I put it on your desk." 
(It's not on my desk.)
#9.  "I put it on the book cart."  (These are books that have been checked in and are ready to be put away or have been put away.  Grrrrrrr.)
#10.  "I got all ripped up by my baby brother, or I left it outside and it is ruined."  (Okay, but bring it back anyway.)

Ha Ha, it is my sense of humor that gets me through these many varied excuses as I try to collect a few hundred books back the last weeks of school.  Hope they aren't sad when field day comes and they have to miss it, cause their book isn't turned in yet!  We'll just call Mom!!!