Falmouth Elementary School Library

The book fair will be set up in the FES Library from May 28th- June 3rd. Students will visit the book fair with their classes. There are also times during the week when parents my bring their children to shop for books. Proceeds from the book fair will be used to purchase books and supplies for the FES Library. It’s a great time to stock up on books for the summer months!

Click here to access the book fair web site: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/falmouthelementary

2013 Book Fair Days & Times

Tuesday, May 28th 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Wednesday, May 29th 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Wednesday, May 29th 5:00-6:30 pm (Family Night)

Thursday, May 30th 8:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday, May 31st 8:30 am-4:00 pm

Monday, June 3rd 8:30 am-2:00 pm

I am pleased to tell you about a number of excellent author and illustrator events that are scheduled during the month of May. I encourage families to take advantage of these low-cost events that promote reading for pleasure.

May 4th
Free Comic Book Day

This annual event is celebrated across the country. Stop by your local comic book store to receive free comics.

May 11th
Creators of Lost Trail will receive the Maine Student Book Award

 Donn Fendler and his co-creators (Lynn Plourde and Ben Bishop) of  Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness will receive the 2013 Maine Student Book Award during an awards ceremony at the LL Bean Flagship store in Freeport at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, hear Fendler talk about his classic childhood survival story, and have the award-winning book autographed.

 May 11
Cape Author Fest
Cape Elizabeth High School
2:00-5:00 p.m.

Meet authors and illustrators from across New England at  the Cape Author Fest. Authors and illustrators include Scott Nash, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Megan Frazer Blakemore, Cathryn Falwell, Anne Sibley O’Brien and dozens more!

May 19
Maine Comic Arts Festival
Ocean Gateway Terminal, Portland
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

This family-friendly comic event is outstanding. Meet dozens of comic book and graphic novel authors and illustrators. Jeff Smith (creator of the Bone series) and Raina Telgemeier (author of Smile) are two of the featured guests. The Portland Public Library will host additional events with comic book artists on Saturday, May 18th.

Yes, reading comics is good for your kids!
A discussion about the value of reading comics and graphic novels

FES parents are invited to join visual artist, Henry Wolyniec, art teacher, Katie Hall, and librarian, Cathy Potter, for an evening discussion of literacy and comic arts. Comic books have been popular with students for many years. Parents often worry that comic books and graphic novels are not “real reading.” Join us for a discussion of the artistic and literary value of reading comics.

Date: Wednesday, April 24

Location: FES Library

Time: 6:30-7:30 PM

Earlier this year, Mr. Carter’s fifth grade class read books that were Newbery Honoro or Newbery Medal winners. Students used Animoto on the iPads to create book trailer based on the books they read. Here are a few of their book trailers. Check back for more!

Shiloh
Book Trailer by Harrison W.

When You Reach Me
Book Trailer by Joe D.

Dead End in Norvelt
Book Trailer by Hannah D.

Hatchet
Book Trailer by Angus C.

The Wednesday Wars
Book trailer by Gabi E. 

On March 29, 2013, students in grades K-3 voted for the Chickadee Award. The Chickadee Award is a state award for best picture book, and only students are allowed to vote.

The FES winner of the Chickadee Award was…

Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India by Gerald McDermott

The state winner of the Chickadee Award was Won-Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw and Eugene Yelchin

Students in grades 4 and 5 voted for the Maine Student Book Award. The 2012/2013 MSBA list was comprised of 40 books, and students had to read at least three books to be eligible to vote.

The FES winner of the Maine Student Book Award was…

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman

The state winner of the 2013 Maine Student Book Award was…

Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness by Donn Fendler, Lynn Plourde and Ben Bishop

Students in grades 4 and 5 may vote for the Maine Student Book Award today. Students who have read 3 or more books from the MSBA list are eligible to vote.

Click here to go to the MSBA ballot.

On March 6, 2013 classes at Falmouth Elementary School celebrated World Read Aloud Day. WRAD was created by LitWorld as a way of bringing attention to illiteracy rates across the world and to celebrate the power of reading aloud.

Students and teachers at FES took part in Skype sessions with classes from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Michigan. Mrs. Merrifield’s 4th grade class Skyped with author, Tanya Lee Stone, and asked her questions about her nonfiction picture books. Ms. Bianchi’s 4th grade class read One Cool Friend (winner of a Mock Caldecott Honor at FES) to Matthew Winner’s 1st grade library class in Maryland. We projected One Cool Friend onto the whiteboard using We Give Books is a non-profit organization that donates books to charity.

School Library Journal wrote an article about how libraries celebrated World Read Aloud Day. (Falmouth is mentioned in paragraph #6.)
http://www.slj.com/2013/03/events/librarians-celebrate-world-read-aloud-day/

A 4th grade students asks author Tanya Lee Stone a question on World Read Aloud Day.

Kindergarten students hear 4th grade students in Durham, Connecticut read aloud from Bunny Cakes on wegivebooks.org.

The Seattle Space Needle at night

Last week, Mrs. Potter traveled to Seattle to meet with the 2014 Sibert Medal committee. While in Seattle, she had the opportunity to be in the audience during the announcement of the ALA Youth Media Awards. A number of classes at FES streamed the awards announcements live. Students at FES participated in a Mock Caldecott program and many readers also took part in a Mock Newbery book club, so students and teachers were eager to find out if their favorite books would win any awards.

 The excitement was contagious as librarians, teachers, professors, book reviewers and publicists gathered in a ballroom at the Washington State Convention Center to hear the announcements.

2013 Caldecott Medal

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

2013 Caldecott Honor Books

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
(Winner of the FES Mock Caldecott)

Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
(an FES Mock Caldecott Honor Book)

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo (Maine author) illustrated by David Small
(an FES Mock Caldecott Honor Book)

Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

2013 Newbery Medal Winner

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
(an FES Mock Newbery Honor Book)

2013 Newbery Honor Books

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
(an FES Mock Newbery book)

Bomb: The Race to Build- and Steal- The World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

2013 Sibert Medal
for most distinguished informational book for children

Bomb: The Race to Build- and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

2013 Sibert Honor Books

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd

Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose (Maine author)
(an FES Mock Newbery Book)

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
(an FES Mock Newbery Book)

For a complete list of awards and winners visit the ALA Youth Media Awards page.

Stop by the library to check out one of the winners.

The winner of the FES Mock Caldecott Award is…

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett/ illustrated by Jon Klassen

Honor Books

Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham/ illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzeeo/ illustrated by David Small

75 Years of the Caldecott Medal
This badge was created by Caldecott Medal winner, Brian Selznick, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the award. Selznick incorporates characters from a number of Caldecott winning books. There will be a trivia question on the morning announcements each day from Dec. 17-21 related to this badge. More details to come!

Caldecott Infographic
Travis Jonker (blogger and school librarian extraordinaire) has created an infographic for the Caldecott Medal. The infographic can be viewed on his 100 Scope Notes blog hosted by School Library Journal.

http://100scopenotes.com/2012/12/04/the-caldecott-medal-infographic/