I hope you've all had a wonderful summer holiday and I can't wait to get back into the library.
In the meantime, check out what I've been reading this summer using the link below:
See you all very soon!
Thursday 3 September 2020
Wednesday 10 June 2020
Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights
We are all worthy, valuable, deserving, and important.
Books have always helped me learn, and now is a time to learn as much as we can about how to be better humans and support people in our community. Follow the link below to some great books for students. ( *Disclaimer: I am not the original creator of this Google slide deck, and haven't been able to find who the creator is.)
Wednesday 3 June 2020
Ready To Fly!
We had 9 out of our 10 butterflies emerge successfully from their chrysalis. After a few days of drying, and gaining their strength they were ready to be released.
We waited for a sunny day, because we learned that butterflies can not fly if they are cold. They need to warm their wings before taking flight. While it was super fun having the butterflies here at my house, I am hopeful that next year you will get to see them in the library!
Wednesday 27 May 2020
You're TREEmendous!
Our library butterflies are all in chrysalis!
Pretty soon I will have butterfly pictures to share with you all. But in the meantime this week is all about TREES!
Did you know that trees could be fun? No? Well they most certainly can! All of the books in our library are made with paper, and paper is made from trees. So it only felt right that we paid tribute to them with a story time. I was also very inspired by these new books that joined our library collection this week:
I can't wait to share them with you in person but while we wait for that day, I hope you really enjoy the stories below!
A classic tree story is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It is all about generosity! The story both represents selfishness (the boy) and selflessness (the tree). It really serves as a great discussion starter about the contrast between the two.
Little Tree by Loren Long is a sweet story about change and transformation. I think we can all relate to going through some changes right now. Little Tree can teach us a lot about facing hard things while wanting to hold on to the familiar. This story reminds us that there is a beauty in letting go.
Trees are also home to some really amazing creatures! Like this Bald Eagle family living in a nest in Florida and these cute Koalas at the San Diego Zoo. These live camera feeds give viewers a unique look at some of our animal friends who live in trees.
Still not convinced that trees are great?! Head on over to Wonderopolis to find out why we need trees.
The last thing I will leave you with are a few fun tree related activities to help keep you feeling inspired and creative:
Found Object Tree Art
Leaf Rubbings
Abstract Grid Tree Art
Stretch with the yoga pose "Tree Pose"
Pretty soon I will have butterfly pictures to share with you all. But in the meantime this week is all about TREES!
Did you know that trees could be fun? No? Well they most certainly can! All of the books in our library are made with paper, and paper is made from trees. So it only felt right that we paid tribute to them with a story time. I was also very inspired by these new books that joined our library collection this week:
I can't wait to share them with you in person but while we wait for that day, I hope you really enjoy the stories below!
A classic tree story is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It is all about generosity! The story both represents selfishness (the boy) and selflessness (the tree). It really serves as a great discussion starter about the contrast between the two.
Little Tree by Loren Long is a sweet story about change and transformation. I think we can all relate to going through some changes right now. Little Tree can teach us a lot about facing hard things while wanting to hold on to the familiar. This story reminds us that there is a beauty in letting go.
Trees not only give us paper, but they release important oxygen into the environment. This is one of the main messages found in the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. You can listen to that story here.
Trees are also home to some really amazing creatures! Like this Bald Eagle family living in a nest in Florida and these cute Koalas at the San Diego Zoo. These live camera feeds give viewers a unique look at some of our animal friends who live in trees.
Still not convinced that trees are great?! Head on over to Wonderopolis to find out why we need trees.
Found Object Tree Art
Leaf Rubbings
Abstract Grid Tree Art
Stretch with the yoga pose "Tree Pose"
Wednesday 20 May 2020
Metamorphasis
Having library butterflies was such a fun experience last year, I knew that I wanted to do it again this year. However with our library being closed, the caterpillars have been bunking with me and my family in our home. They came to us as wee little things, and spent their days eating and growing.
Once they were ready, they climbed to the top of the enclosure and attached themselves to the netting by their bottoms. They then hung upside down, curling just slightly into a "J" shape. They stayed like this until they are completely enclosed in their chrysalis. Having the larvae at home really gave me the opportunity to keep a close eye on them. From what I observed, it took the caterpillars about a day and a half to form a complete chrysalis. Soon they will be Painted Lady Butterflies!
In about 7-10 days they will emerge from their chrysalis, and their metamorphosis will be complete. I will be sure to share with you how many survive, and what happens when we release them.
Not only are butterfly books interesting, but they are often beautiful too. This is no surprise since butterflies themselves are quite beautiful. If we were together in the library I would have shared both non-fiction and fiction butterfly books with you while we watched the life cycle process. This is one topic we have many books about!
Here are some of my favourite butterfly/ caterpillar stories:
A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long is a non-fiction book that captivates like a storybook. This story can be found on Tumblebooks, or listen below as Heather Herbay reads the story.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic that I just had to include here. Enjoy this video of author Eric Carle reading this sweet story.
The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach is silly, and fun. Especially when read by Ryan and Craig from Storytime with Ryan & Craig!
Want to know more!? Here are some learning resources about life cycles and butterflies:
ScienceFlix: Life Cycles
The Blue Morpho: Costa Rica's Beautiful Blue Butterfly
Beginner Caterpillar Links: Usborne
Bug Links: Usborne
Follow the links below for fun butterfly and caterpillar related activities to keep you busy while we wait for the caterpillars to come out of chrysalis:
Butterfly Puzzle
How to Draw a Monarch Butterfly
Butterfly Origami
Guided Butterfly Yoga
Butterfly Art For Kids
Once they were ready, they climbed to the top of the enclosure and attached themselves to the netting by their bottoms. They then hung upside down, curling just slightly into a "J" shape. They stayed like this until they are completely enclosed in their chrysalis. Having the larvae at home really gave me the opportunity to keep a close eye on them. From what I observed, it took the caterpillars about a day and a half to form a complete chrysalis. Soon they will be Painted Lady Butterflies!
In about 7-10 days they will emerge from their chrysalis, and their metamorphosis will be complete. I will be sure to share with you how many survive, and what happens when we release them.
Not only are butterfly books interesting, but they are often beautiful too. This is no surprise since butterflies themselves are quite beautiful. If we were together in the library I would have shared both non-fiction and fiction butterfly books with you while we watched the life cycle process. This is one topic we have many books about!
Here are some of my favourite butterfly/ caterpillar stories:
A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long is a non-fiction book that captivates like a storybook. This story can be found on Tumblebooks, or listen below as Heather Herbay reads the story.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic that I just had to include here. Enjoy this video of author Eric Carle reading this sweet story.
The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach is silly, and fun. Especially when read by Ryan and Craig from Storytime with Ryan & Craig!
Want to know more!? Here are some learning resources about life cycles and butterflies:
ScienceFlix: Life Cycles
The Blue Morpho: Costa Rica's Beautiful Blue Butterfly
Beginner Caterpillar Links: Usborne
Bug Links: Usborne
Follow the links below for fun butterfly and caterpillar related activities to keep you busy while we wait for the caterpillars to come out of chrysalis:
Butterfly Puzzle
How to Draw a Monarch Butterfly
Butterfly Origami
Guided Butterfly Yoga
Butterfly Art For Kids
Tuesday 12 May 2020
Kindness Rocks!
The sun is out, and we have been too! During family walks in our neighbourhood and on hiking trails, I have come across some beautifully painted rocks. These always make me smile, and I am so grateful to those who have hidden them as small acts of kindness. These kindness rocks inspired me to dig into our collection and find rock related books for this week.
Ishi: Simple Tips from a Solid Friend by Akiko Yabuki is such a lovely story about how to handle "stinky days", we all have them!
Only One You by Linda Kranz is a vibrant story book with some wonderful life advice for young and old.
Ishi: Simple Tips from a Solid Friend by Akiko Yabuki is such a lovely story about how to handle "stinky days", we all have them!
Only One You by Linda Kranz is a vibrant story book with some wonderful life advice for young and old.
If you're interested in learning more about rocks and minerals, here are some resources for you to check out:
Vancouver Rocks learn about rocks and minerals with a geologist from the lower mainland.
Discover fun facts about rocks and minerals using Science Flix
Check out the non-fiction e-book Geology On the Move
We painted collected and painted some kindness rocks of our own, maybe you will be inspired to create some too!
Tuesday 5 May 2020
May 10th
On Sunday, May 10th some of us will be celebrating the amazing female caregivers in our lives. For me, that will be my Mom but for some that person may be their Grandma, their aunt, a neighbour, a mentor, a cousin, or an older sister. So with these lovely ladies in mind, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite stories that celebrate these unique and special relationships.
1. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (Illustrated by David Roberts)
Rosie is a brilliant and creative engineer all her own, but it is her great-great aunt Rose who helps her realize this by teaching her to be brave and by offering her unwavering support and encouragement.
2. Possum Magic by Mem Fox (Illustrated by Julie Vivas)
The special bond between Hush and Grandma Poss takes the pair on a delightful adventure to undo the magic that has kept Hush safe, but also has made her invisible much of her life.
3. Someday by Alison McGhee (Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds)
This story is about a mother's love, and all of her hopes and dreams for her child as they grow.
4. Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler
Miss Maple takes exceptional care of little seeds, helping them grow and thrive. This book is a beautiful metaphor for a female caregiver who has nothing but patience, love and kindness for those in her care.
There are SO many great stories that celebrate caregivers and those who love us and help us grow, it was a challenge to choose just a few. I hope that this coming weekend you all can think of someone to be grateful for and that you are able to tell them what they mean to you.
1. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (Illustrated by David Roberts)
Rosie is a brilliant and creative engineer all her own, but it is her great-great aunt Rose who helps her realize this by teaching her to be brave and by offering her unwavering support and encouragement.
2. Possum Magic by Mem Fox (Illustrated by Julie Vivas)
The special bond between Hush and Grandma Poss takes the pair on a delightful adventure to undo the magic that has kept Hush safe, but also has made her invisible much of her life.
3. Someday by Alison McGhee (Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds)
This story is about a mother's love, and all of her hopes and dreams for her child as they grow.
4. Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler
Miss Maple takes exceptional care of little seeds, helping them grow and thrive. This book is a beautiful metaphor for a female caregiver who has nothing but patience, love and kindness for those in her care.
There are SO many great stories that celebrate caregivers and those who love us and help us grow, it was a challenge to choose just a few. I hope that this coming weekend you all can think of someone to be grateful for and that you are able to tell them what they mean to you.
Tuesday 28 April 2020
Bite-Size Life Lessons
I don't know about anyone else, but spending more time at home recently has lead to a whole lot of baking at home. With books and baking on my mind, this week's story inspiration was a no brainer. Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a book full of sweet (pun intended) reminders of some very important life lessons and values.
I am working on patience right now, and the author's words "I am waiting... still waiting... aren't I waiting so nicely?" really resonated with me this week. Let's all keep waiting nicely, and practicing optimism and hope. And while we're at it, a storytime and warm cookies couldn't hurt.
Enjoy the story below from The Teaching Nook's YouTube Channel. What bite-size life lesson can you relate to most this week?
After reading this story with my daughter, we decided to bake cookies using the recipe found in the back of the book. We did not have any chocolate chips, and had no plans to leave the house so used chopped up Easter chocolate instead. The cookies did not disappoint. Here is the recipe from the book:
How can baking be incorporated into our learning at home? Here are a few simple ideas:
1) Math: Basic measurement (ie: 2 inches apart) and metric/imperial measurement (ie: cups, teaspoon, tablespoon, ounces), greater than less than (ie: 1/2 cup vs. 1 cup), and of course fractions.
2) Reading the recipe offers opportunities for new and experienced readers to practice. Are there any words that you aren’t familiar with? (Ie: semisweet) Look them up!
3) Procedural writing: Can you write out the steps to a recipe or an activity that you know how to do well? How many details are needed to make it easy to follow for someone who has never done it before?
4) Science: Research why we mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Do you know any science experiments that can be done with baking soda? And just what do ingredients like baking soda and baking powder add to a recipe? What is the difference between the two? I bet Wonderopolis can help you out with these questions.
Happy baking, friends!
Tuesday 21 April 2020
Earth Day
Hello friends, Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day! If we were in the library together my story and activities for this week would be focusing on what that means.
You can learn more about Earth Day on the Earth Day official website, but my short interpretation of Earth Day is that it is a day that we all agree to try our best to respect, and appreciate the wonderful place we live.
Here are two great Earth Day read alouds for you to enjoy!
If you are interested in learning more about our Earth and how to protect it, here are some resources to check out:
Global Guardian Explorer
National Geographic Kids: Declining Biodiversity
Frontiers for Young Minds: Biodiversity
The Nature of Thingies: Learn About Earth
Earth Day 2020 is unlike any other as we learn to stay in one place, and find things that fill our buckets that we may not have otherwise had the opportunity to focus on. Here are some things I have been doing (and you can do too!) that are great for an unplugged, no screens Earth Day.
1) Puzzles
You all know I LOVE puzzles. They keep my mind busy, and they provide me with a challenge. We are working on a 2000 piece puzzle here at home, and have found it to be a great way to take a break from screens.
Don't have any puzzles? You can create your own puzzles by creating an image or finding one in an old magazine or newspaper, cutting it up and then challenging a family member/yourself to put it back together!
2) READ
This one is a no brainer! Read. Read anything. Read everything. I have been sharing online stories lately, but since we are looking to unplug try and find something to read at home whether it's a book, a recipe, a newspaper, a magazine, just READ.
Looking to get out? Take a walk around your neighborhood, read and record all the words you see (on traffic signs, street signs, garden decor, etc.) See if you can use your list of words to create a poem, or short story.
3) Create
Whether or not you consider yourself to be an artist or creative person, we all have the ability to create something that brings us joy. In our home we paint, draw, colour, craft, play with sidewalk chalk, sing, dance, garden, write, bake. All of these can be considered creating art in my opinion! Sometimes your art is a beautiful painting, or a lovely cake or even the perfect garden layout, be mindful that the outcome is not as important as the process.
4) Play
I think we all know how to do this! Get out and have some fun, or stay in and play some board games or card games with family.
You can learn more about Earth Day on the Earth Day official website, but my short interpretation of Earth Day is that it is a day that we all agree to try our best to respect, and appreciate the wonderful place we live.
Here are two great Earth Day read alouds for you to enjoy!
If you are interested in learning more about our Earth and how to protect it, here are some resources to check out:
Global Guardian Explorer
National Geographic Kids: Declining Biodiversity
Frontiers for Young Minds: Biodiversity
The Nature of Thingies: Learn About Earth
Earth Day 2020 is unlike any other as we learn to stay in one place, and find things that fill our buckets that we may not have otherwise had the opportunity to focus on. Here are some things I have been doing (and you can do too!) that are great for an unplugged, no screens Earth Day.
1) Puzzles
You all know I LOVE puzzles. They keep my mind busy, and they provide me with a challenge. We are working on a 2000 piece puzzle here at home, and have found it to be a great way to take a break from screens.
Don't have any puzzles? You can create your own puzzles by creating an image or finding one in an old magazine or newspaper, cutting it up and then challenging a family member/yourself to put it back together!
2) READ
This one is a no brainer! Read. Read anything. Read everything. I have been sharing online stories lately, but since we are looking to unplug try and find something to read at home whether it's a book, a recipe, a newspaper, a magazine, just READ.
Looking to get out? Take a walk around your neighborhood, read and record all the words you see (on traffic signs, street signs, garden decor, etc.) See if you can use your list of words to create a poem, or short story.
3) Create
Whether or not you consider yourself to be an artist or creative person, we all have the ability to create something that brings us joy. In our home we paint, draw, colour, craft, play with sidewalk chalk, sing, dance, garden, write, bake. All of these can be considered creating art in my opinion! Sometimes your art is a beautiful painting, or a lovely cake or even the perfect garden layout, be mindful that the outcome is not as important as the process.
4) Play
I think we all know how to do this! Get out and have some fun, or stay in and play some board games or card games with family.
Tuesday 14 April 2020
More Mo Willems
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| Source: Google Images// The Daily Cartoonist |
What's not to love about Mo Willems? The man behind our beloved Elephant and Piggie books, the Pigeon books and more, is not only a best selling author and illustrator but an all around GREAT guy. Mo Willems, along with many other authors, has stepped up to help and entertain us as we all learn from home.
You can explore the wonderful things he has to offer at his website www.mowillems.com.
One of my favourite activities that Mo Willems is offering is LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems through the Kennedy Center. Here you can join Mo to learn some of the art tricks that he uses to make his characters so alive and engaging.
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| Source: Google Images |
BUT FIRST, choose one (or ALL?) of the book title links below to listen to a Mo Willems read aloud from Storytime with Ryan & Craig:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
The Pigeon Needs a Bath
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog
Knuffle Bunny
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| Source: Google Images// The New Yorker |
Intermediate students, ever think about what makes an author like Mo Willems so successful? CLICK HERE to find and listen to some of his fantastic interviews about writing, storytelling and even his funny failures.
Thursday 9 April 2020
Keep Calm and Carrot On
Our Premier, John Horgan released this important memo for the upcoming long weekend:
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| Source: Google Images |
My personal favourite Easter Book is The Easter Egg by Jan Brett. As I have told some of you before, Jan Brett is one of my very favourite children's authors and illustrators. If we were together today, this is the book that I would absolutely be reading to you. Her books not only tell a written story but her illustrations often tell a second story all their own. Often times there are clues or even a mini-story hidden into the art that borders the main illustrations. In my opinion, these details make her stories that much more engaging and wonderful. We have a Jan Brett bin in our library, so finding these lovely books is super easy. Listen to The Easter Egg by Jan Brett in the video below.
Here are some additional resources to help pass the time over the long weekend and get everyone into the spirit.
Read Alouds:
Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly & James Dean
Happy Easter Mouse by Laura Numerof
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Wolfie The Bunny by Ame Dyckman
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Six Little Chicks by Jez Alborough
Head over to Book Flix and explore the categories "Animals & Nature" and "Celebrations" to find a great selection of read alouds and e-books.
Explore:
Over Easter my family and I like to visit our extended family's farm to see some of the baby animals. This year we won't be able to, so we will be checking out the Farm sanctuary live cams to get our cute baby animal fix!
Learn about Passover with CBC Kids
Find answers to your Easter questions on Wonderopolis, like Can Easter Eggs Be Art?
Create & Play:
Draw an Easter Bunny Folding Surprise among other things, over at Art for Kids Hub.
Decorate some Easter Eggs, here are 8 different ways to make beautiful eggs.
Play a round of Easter Memory
Try your hand at some Easter baking, like these adorable chick cake pops.
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