Eliot River Library

This is our third year applying for funding from Indigo’s Love of Reading Foundation.  The deadline was February 11.  We will find out in June if we are successful recipients of a grant.  Our application outlined our intentions to integrate the reader’s workshop and writer’s workshop within our Language Arts programs as well as a Family Literacy Program for our community over a three year period.  We would love to have funding in order to purchase listening centres, create a well-stocked literacy room and allow each classroom to have a classroom library full of high interest books which would  appeal to a wide variety of tastes and reading levels.  Cross your fingers and toes that we are among the chosen!

Have you ever found yourself reading a book and loving it so much that you put off finishing it ?  You don’t really want to finish it because then it will be finished!  I have found that this is true for the book I am reading.  I am poised at the climax of the story and even though, naturally, one part of me wants to read to its conclusion (especially since I have promised the book to someone else) I am putting off reading this evening.  I want to think about how the story might end….before I actually find out how it does!

I have found myself making so many connections to other books I have enjoyed, for example The Lightning Thief, Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

Mr. Arsenault, are you enjoying this series as much as the family who recommended it?

Wave by Eric Walters

Book Review by Mme. Macdonald, February 6, 2010
When I read the trailer on the back cover of the novel I immediately made a personal connection to the tsunami of 2004.  I remembered watching the horrific images of this tragic happening on television on Boxing Day and indeed being mesmorized by these images many more times during the days to follow.  I was curious how the author would write a fictional story surrounding this very real catastrophe.
The novel opens with three members of a family travelling to Thailand for their Christmas vacation.  I was soon transported to an idyllic setting of sand and sun, tasting pineapple pancakes and hearing the father announce, “Your elephant is waiting.”
The organization of the novel is interesting as the first eight chapters are told from the point of view of Sam, a twelve year old boy, then the remaining chapters are narrated by his nineteen year old sister, Beth.  This structure provides tension and suspense as we travel with Beth amongst the devastation that the tsunami has left behind in its wake.
While some of the dialogue is a bit corny and the writing slightly cliched, the plot moves along quickly which keeps you wanting to read on.  When Beth arrives in Thailand on her quest to find her family , the pace of the novel speeds up even more and you find yourself unable to put the book down until its conclusion.
Readers should be warned that this novel does contain some graphic details that sensitive or younger readers might find offensive. But for more mature readers, this novel would be an excellent choice to gain a further understanding of how the Asian tsunami had a tremendous impact on so many peoples’ lives through the experiences of this one American family.
To learn more about Eric Walters and read descriptions of his novels, visit:
www.ericwalters.net/
To learn more about the tsunami of 2004 visit National Geographic’s website at:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.html

I find myself constantly saying, “Oh!  I’d like to read that!”  There seem to be too many books and not nearly enough time to read them all.  When I am in a bookstore or library, I am often drawn to books with beautiful covers and exquisite artwork.  I have several favourite authors and intend to continue to read their books.  I also keep my ears open to books being promoted on the radio or in the newspaper.  I love to take note of reccommendations from students and colleagues.  It’s time I organized my mental lists so that I can dip into a wide variety of genres.  I tend to enjoy fantasy and historical fiction the most of all the genres, but would like to expand my reading to include mystery and greater titles from the informational or nonfiction genre.  I think every individual should draft a “Must Read” list which is constantly edited as one grows as a reader.  Here are some tips for creating a list of your own.

*Get hooked on a favourite author. make a list of all the titles of this author and enjoy them all over time. Jerry Spinelli, Avi, e.l. konigsburg, Louis Sachar, Gordon Korman, Barbara Park, are a few examples.  Check out our author’s links page to find some more for kids your age.

*Explore award winners, try to read three or four award winning books.  Lists of popular awards (Newberry, Caldicott, Scott O’Dell, Edgar Allan Poe Awards) can all be found on line.  Awards are posted on the front covers of books.

*Make a list of titles that your friends reccommend.

*Browse the shelves in the library and make a list of titles you think  you would enjoy based on the cover and trailer.

*Explore one of your favourite nonfiction topics by reading at least four books about that topic.

*Read a book and then watch the movie that was made of that book.  Some examples are:  Bridge to Terabithia, Shiloh, Holes, Tales of Unfortunate Events, Spiderwick Chronicles, The Witches, City of Ember and  Winn Dixie (Because of Winn Dixie).

*Read an entire series of books, such as Harry Potter,  Tales of Unfortunate Events, Spiderwick Chronicles, The Shadow Children, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Guardians of Gahoole and  Maze of Bones are just a few examples.

*Visit a bookstore or public library and ask the clerk or librarian for suggestions.

*Keep a list of titles that your parents or older siblings enjoyed when they were your age.

*Enjoy a picture book with someone else at least once per week.  Our library collection is growing daily!

*Talk with your peers about books in your classroom library.  Are there any titles not there that should be?

If you follow some of the tips mentioned above, you will always have a book  in your hands, one on deck to be enjoyed next, and many more titles to be relished at a later date!

Minerva Gamble-Hardy came to visit our students in our library to tell them about the Cornwall Library’s summer reading program.  There will be a kick-off party on Saturday, June 27th at 11am in the library which is located in the Cornwall Town Hall near the APM Centre.  Children are invited to read for a minimum of 15 minutes per day and may participate in a variety of activities at the library on a weekly basis.  Students may also choose to read on their own and record their reading on a daily basis.  The theme this year is all about detectives.  There is a “Name our Mascot” contest and a “Guess the number of candies in the jar” contest.  There will be chances to win free books,  lots of fun and most  importantly tons of reading!  Children up to those of grade six age are welcome to participate and best of all it’s all FREE!!!  We hope to hear of many of our Eliot River students keeping up their reading by joining this wonderful program.  Thank you to Minerva for her time to tell us about the summer program.