And the Winner Is......

This past Monday the American Library Association's annual awards were announced. Each year, ALA recognize children's and young adult authors, illustrators and media producers in a  variety of categories including the Caldecott for best illustrations and the Newbery Award for outstanding contribution to literature.
This year the Caldecott Award went to:
LOCOMOTIVE written and illustrated by Brian Floca

 

Caldecott Honor Books include:
Mr. Wuffles written and illustrated by David Wiesner
"Flora and the Flamingo," written and illustrated by Molly Idle
"Journey," written and illustrated by Aaron Becker


The Coretta Scott King Award goes to an African American writer and illustrator. This years winners were:

Author award: "P.S. Be Eleven," written by Rita Williams-Garcia

Illustrator award: "Knock Knock: My Dad's Dream for Me," illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Daniel Beaty

Honor books

Author: "March: Book One," written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell

Author: "Darius & Twig," written by Walter Dean Myers

Author: "Words with Wings," written by Nikki Grimes

Illustrator: "Nelson Mandela," written by Kadir Nelson

We have many of the winner and honor books already in the library and will be purchasing many of the others! Both preschoolers (Caldecott) and high schoolers have read many of the award winners! 

WE MADE IT TO MID-TERMS!!

http://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/features/2013/01/25/students-experiment-with-various-study-habits/

It is that time of the year: Mid-Terms! Students and teachers have been working hard all week! Even with a snow day thrown in, the high school has been focused on getting the most out of the exams and what has been learned for a semester! As we move into a brand new semester and the second half of the school year, it is always important to revisit effective study skills and what will help every student be successful. Keeping in mind every child is different, the following article by Dr. Bob Kizlik, university professor, outlines many valuable suggestions on how to study effectively. He also offers some great tips for those heading off to college next year! It is a new semester and a good time to start fresh and put ourselves in a position to succeed!!

http://www.adprima.com/studyout.htm

MLK DAY: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we prepare to celebrate the life and beliefs of Martin Luther King Jr. I think back to my time as a City Year Corps Member in Boston. MLK Day was a "day on," a day of service to honor the beliefs MLK held so dearly. As we go into this long weekend, I would like to thank everyone who works hard to make our community a better place.

Some students at Natick High School entered the "Annual Community MLK Celebration Essay Contest." This essay writing contest honors Martin Luther King Jr. The essay prompt was:"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that "the only road to freedom" is nonviolence. What are some ways Dr. King, and the Civil Rights movement resolved conflict without being violent? Describe how you, and your peers, can work to bring more peace and justice to your surrounding, whether your school, community, or other area.

There were many strong essays and the library was honored to partner with METCO director Alex Pearson to sponsor the contest! Congratulations to all the entries on capturing the true spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr!

Principal Ms. Bertucci, essay winners and library assistant Mrs. Carrick

 

 

 "Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness" -Maritn Luther King Jr.

A New Year! Time To Read!!

Happy New Year!!! Coming back to school after a well needed, wonderful vacation I am ready to jump back in and begin the year! The vacation is always a great time to catch up on some reading and I finished two great books.  

Running Lean / Diana Sharpes "Told from their separate viewpoints, Calvin Greenlee copes with grief over his brother's recent death by racing his vintage Yamaha on rural North Carolina streets while his girlfriend, Stacey Youngblood, battles anorexia, and their relationship may not survive the strain." 






 And I finally sat down and read Grave Mercy / Robin LaFevers. Robin LaFevers gave a great presentation to some of our students last year and those that had read the book LOVED it! "Seventeen-year-old Ismae avoids an arranged marriage by making a place for herself at the convent of St. Martin, where she learns of her unique gifts and must determine whether she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death."







There are so many movies coming out based on some amazing books. The following is a list of the "Ten Books you Need to Read Before You Watch The Movies" (Note: some have already come on the big screen.)
Ten Books You Need to Read Before You Watch the Movies