- summer book recommendations below from our local librarians,
- 1 CCSS lesson suggestion and the sample invitation letter that was sent to Administrators by Liz Bailey (who shared the lesson)
- Diane Cordell's (our local photographer) postings at this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmcordell/8952927965/
Young Adult Books
| |
| TITLE | AUTHOR |
| Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | Saenz |
| Bad Girls | Jane Yolen & Heidi Stemple |
| Breaking Night | Liz Murray |
| Clean | Amy Reed |
| Code Name Verity | Elizabeth Wein |
| Drowned Vault | N. D. Wilson |
| Girl Stolen | April Herny |
| Golden Boy | Tara Sullivan |
| Grave Mercy | Robin LaFevers |
| Knits for Nerds | Toni Carr |
| Moonbird | Phillip Hoose |
| Out of the Easy | Ruta Sepetys |
| Perfect Escape | Jennifer Brown |
| Please Ignore Vera Dietz | A. S. King |
| Poop Happened: A History of the World from the Bottom up | Sarah Albee |
| Raven Boys | Maggie Stiefvater |
| Seraphina | Hartman |
| Tiger Lily | Jodi Lynn Anderson |
| Ungifted | Gordon Korman |
Children's Books
| |
| TITLE | AUTHOR |
| Can We Save the Tiger | Martin Jenkins |
| Goldilocks & Just One Bear | Leigh Hodgkinson |
| Ralph Tells a Story | Abby Hanlon |
| The Thing About Georgie | Lisa Graff |
| Splendors & Glooms | Laura Amy Schlitz |
| Stolen Into Slavery | Fradin |
| Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur | Judy Sierra |
| Unspoken | Henry Cole |
| Until the Cows Come Home & Other Expressions About Animals | Sandy Donovan |
| Waiting for the Magic | Patricia MacLachlan |
| Wonder | R. J. Palacio |
Adult Books
| |
| TITLE | AUTHOR |
| Age of Wonder | Richard Holmes |
| Cooked | Michael Pollan |
| Cutting for Stone | Abraham Verghese |
| Destiny of the Republic | Candice Millard |
| Echoes of the Mountain | Khaled Husseini |
| Frankenstein (paired with Age of Wonder , above) | Mary Shelley |
| Grave Mercy | Robin LaFevers |
| Inferno | Dan Brown |
| Reconstructing Amelia | Kimberly McCreight |
| The Know it All | A. J. Jacobs |
| The Life Boat | Charlotte Rogan |
| The Paris Wife | Paula McClain |
| The Twelfth Imam | Joel Rosenberg |
| The World Until Yesterday | Jared Diamond |
| Where'd You Go Bernadette? | Maria Semple |
Dear Administrator Mover and Shaker friends,
I would like to invite you to experience what a 100% Inquiry project looks like at the elementary level. The students in Mrs. Robbins’ 5th grade class were given the opportunity to follow their interests generated from nonfiction reading this year. They students developed “Essential Questions” that they would like to have the opportunity and time to seek answers for. For example, one student wanted to know why France gave the U.S. the Statue of Liberty. Another wanted to know what in Anne Sullivan’s life caused her to want to spend her years helping Helen Keller. (I know, that one is amazing, right? Remember, we are talking 10 year-olds here.)
Students did independent research, meeting with their learning coaches (myself and the teacher) along the way at different benchmarks. They were invited to brainstorm ways of expressing their learning, and chose a method that would be a good fit for the material they wished to convey to the audience.
We would like to share their work with you on Friday, June 7 from 9:30 to 10:15. The first 20 minutes will be 4 whole group presentations, and the rest will be set up museum style, where you will be able to browse from station to station to see what the students accomplished.
In an educational culture presently smothered in high stakes test taking, this will provide proof that our students can still have authentic, learner-driven experiences that will provide opportunities for critical thinking, creativity, and communication. I am also hoping to highlight the importance of a collaborative library media program to make this happen. I know you KNOW this, but here is a chance for you to see what is possible with an average group of kids given the right supports and a learning culture that celebrates their success.
Thank you for considering attending, if your busy schedule allows. And feel free to add any other guest that you might think this might find this interesting.
Liz Bailey
School librarian, Shenendehowa Central Schools
