Book Awards Announced!

Each year, the American Library Association recognizes a multitude of books and authors for their quality and impact. Ranging from awards for young children’s books such as the Caldecott and Newbery Medals, to the Belpré award for books celebrating Latino culture, to the Sibert Medal for distinguished informational books, the ALA recognizes a wide range of outstanding material for children, young adults, and adults.

Among other awards, the 2008 Newbery and Caldecott Award winners will be announced today. Here is a link to a site with some opinions on who WILL win and who SHOULD win.

I really want everyone in our class to visit the link above and read all the predictions Elizabeth Bird makes AND the comments that people left in response to her post. That is the type of conversation I'm hoping our blog can lead to - not only about books, but about whatever's on your mind!

Below are two other sites which are great references for finding fantastic books to read. Check them out!

Notable Children's Books (from The Association for Library Service to Children)

100 Best Books for Children (from the National Education Association)

Happy reading!

(source: http://readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=625)
(Images Courtesy of ALA)

5th Grade Newbery Voicethread Project (under construction)

The kids have been working on putting together a Voicethread presentation to celebrate the Newbery books they read over Thanksgiving break. Each student was responsible for reading a different Newbery Award winner and doing some research on the author. In addition, kids were instructed to keep a log of powerful language (similes and metaphors) that helped "paint a picture" in their minds as they read. Using this figurative language as inspiration, the kids are now working on creating an illustration that represents a chosen simile or metaphor.

To view the project under construction, click here. Check back often, as the presentation will continue to be updated as more kids complete their pages.