Mysteries for 4th Graders

I compiled this list for a local teacher and thought I would share.

Series:

• Brixton Brothers Series by Adam Rex
• The Secret Series (This Book is Not Good for You) by Pseudonymous Bosch
• The Sister's Grim by Michael Buckley
• Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Herculeah Jones series by Betsy Cromer Byars
• Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School by Andrew Clements
• Chet Gecko by Bruce Hale
• Mr. Chickee by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Sherlock Files by Tracy Barrett

Stand Alone Titles:

• From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E Franweiler by E.L.Konigsburg
• Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet
• Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
• Masterpiece by Elise Broach
• The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
• Pie by Sarah Weeks
• The Great Cake Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith
• Vanishing Acts by Phillip Margolin
• Horton Halfpott, or, The fiendish mystery of Smugwick Manor, or, The loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's corset by Tom Angleberger
• Scat by Carl Hiaasen

http://aclayouthservices.pbworks.com/w/page/31984436/Programming

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Over April break we are doing a parent-child book discussion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. This is through funding from the New York State Council on the Humanities Together Grant.

I am having a hard time coming up with a hands-on project for the discussion. A couple weeks ago we read Skellig by David Almond and dissected Owl Pellets so hopes are high from the kids. I have go tot top that event!

I am having some success gleaning ideas from birthday party guides online. But if you have any suggestions I could use the help, comment below!

• Serve Turkish Delights (had to buy on Amazon.com, no local stores carried)
• Serve tea sandwiches and lemonade
• Dress as the White Witch
• Kinda lame but I was thinking of putting our coat rack on wheels in front of the entrance to the discussion and filling with coats and jackets so participants will have to squeeze through the coats to make it into the room.
• Decorate cupcakes to look like a lion (Aslan) face
• Narnia Paper craft

Questions

• When Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus in the woods she befriends him despite his appearance. Parents, have you ever been judged or judged someone by their appearance and your frist impression was wrong?
• What makes someone a hero? What about a villain? Which is Edmund?
• Lots of fairytales include some sort of a door from this world into another world. Can you think of any other stories like this? Have you ever imagined being able to step out of this world into another one?
• Why do you think there is a lampost near the wardrobe entrance in Narnia.
• Have you read any other books where one must pass through a magical portal to enter another world?
• Do you think Lucy's brothers and sister should have believed her story about the wardrobe? Would you believe Lucy's story?
• What would you ask for if the queen offered you your favorite food?
• Lewis says that “there’s nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food.” Have you ever spoiled your taste for something by doing something you shouldn’t have done?
• What is the significance of the thaw and the coming of spring?
• When Edmund calls out to the Witch, begging her not to turn the little creatures into stone, Lewis tells us that “for the first time in this story” he “felt sorry for someone besides himself.” Do you know what it’s like to feel so sorry for yourself that you don’t notice anybody else?
• Have you ever tried to tell someone the truth but they didn't believe you? How did this make you feel?
• At the end of the story Lucy, Susan, and Peter forgive Edmund very quickly when they are reunited. Would you be so forgiving?
• The group decides not to tell Edmund about Azlan's sacrifice to free him. Was this the right decision? Would it have hurt or helped Edmund?

2012 Teen SRP Ideas

Ohh it's that magical time of year again. Time to start thinking of all the fun things I want to do over the summer and then figure out how I can turn them into a library program.

Here is my running list of possible programs for teen summer programs:

• Insanewiches Insane sandwich fun
• Yoga classes for teens
• Shrinky Dink Jewelry
• Steampunk jewelry
• Constellation T-shirts Clothing refab events always go over well
• Angry Birds Bowling- Possible fun activity to bring to the middle school with me
• Iron Chef Part II
• Cake Pops
• Frankenplush- Cut up old stuffed animals and teens sew different pieces together to make a frankenanimal.
• Tiny food art out of polymer clay. Okay fine I really just want to share my love of tiny food with the word!
• Candy sushi
• Fuse bead Nintendo art Use the pixel appeal of fuse beads to make beloved video game characters! I did fuse bead jewerly with my teens a few years ago, mondo fun!
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Pinterest Teen Programs

I have made a choice to not join Pinterest. No matter how fun and adorable it looks I will not cave in. No I do not have a fundamental problem with Pinterest I am just afraid if I cave in it will consume all my freetime. I already lurk on etsy late into the late, really should not take on another venture. That doesn't stop me from admiring all the amazing work librarians are doing on Pinterest though?

• Teen Library Program Ideas
• Teen Programming in Libraries
• Non-Craft Teen Library Programs
• Teen Library Programs

Transliteracy in Teen Summer Reading

I recently worked with two other librarians (Chrissie Morrison of the East Greenbush Library and Kaela Wallman of the Schenectady Public Library) on a presentation of incorporating transliteracy into your teen SRP. Transliteracy is the ability to be literate across multiple forms of media (books, radio, internet, tv, etc.) This Teen SRP challanges teens to complete quests rather than following the model of just tracking books or minutes read.

Teens will complete x number of quests and for each quest they get a raffle ticket. You can chose to have the raffle at the end of the summer or raffle off one item per week. To view our presentation click here

We created quests that use the various media in and out of the library. Kaela put some of the quests we brainstormed into a little book that the teens will use to records their quests over the summer.{ Booklet } In order to keep stats make each quest equal to a number of minutes if you report minutes, or a number of books if you ocunt books. Comment on this blog post if you have more Quest ideas! I love to read the creativity of librarians!

Quests:

• Watch a movie (fiction or documentary) based on the lifeof a musician, singer or band
• Write your own ghost story (at least 1 page long
• Read a book of your choice
• Using the website http://www.bartleby.com/100write 2 quotes you like and why
• Create a piece of art (photo,drawing, collage, painting,etc)based on a dream
• Read a book with the word star in the title
• Read a book about a famous musician, actor or athlete.
• Borrow & listen to a music CD from the library.
• Borrow and read a magazine from the library
• Write your own poem or song lyrics inspired by the night sky.
• Research a famous person from your town. Write things you learned about his or her life.
• Discover 2 famous people who share your birthday. How are you and they similar or different?
• Take a picture of yourself in front of a historical marker. For extra credit use the libraryto learn more about the site you chose
• Go star gazing and identify at least 3 constellations -- bonus raffle ticket for borrowing a book about stars/constellations from the library
• Become a fan of the library on Facebook and post on our wall the title of a book you recently read and write a review of it.
• Make a video about the Teen Space in the library and let us post it to our YouTube channel
• Take a photograph at night
• Build a reflective solar cooker & experiment by cooking a marshmallow in it to make s'mores! Instructions here http://stardate.org/teachers/activities/cooker
• Find out what the night sky looked like the on the evening of the day & year you were born
• Read a book that was recommended to you by a friend or librarian
• Visit another library in our library system and borrow a book from them with your library card
• Read a book published in 2012
• Read at least 2 books from your schools recommended summer reading list
• Listen to an audiobook

Book Display: Favorite Book Club Books

I put out this display for February 2012. This is a collection of popular Book Club books from the past 10 or so years.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

The Help by Katheryn Stockett

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows

The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

The Kite Runner by Khlaed Hosseini

Room by Emma Donoghue

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Bel Canto by Ann Patchet

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Shack by William Young