What's Happening at the BSS Library?

BINGO CARD CHALLENGE! Try to make a Reading BINGO this summer by getting five in a row!  Check my Summer Reading Page over in the sidebar to the right to view the BINGO cards and for book lists to help you fill them in!

Chris Van Allsburg has written some "very mysterious books," to quote one fourth grade student today.  In Ben's Dream , Ben and his friend Margaret go home to study for a geography test, and Ben sits on his father's easy chair and begins to feel a little sleepy.  The next thing you know, it's pouring rain and Ben's house is floating along by some famous landmarks, such as the Great Wall of China, Mount Rushmore, the Eiffel Tower, the Parthenon, and the Taj Majal.  Oddly enough, Margaret seems to have had the exact same dream!  After talking about the landmarks and where they were located, I challenged some fourth graders to create these landmarks using Legos, blocks, Wiki Stix, K'nex and Magnetix.  They came up with some great structures!

I love everything about this picture book written by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Sophie Blackall. The premise, the history, the illustrations--all revolving around the oldest dessert in Western civilization. This dessert is called blackberry fool, made from fresh berries and cream.  The book describes families from four generation (1710 in Lyme, England, 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina, 1910 in Boston, and 2010 in San Diego, California) preparing this dessert.  The word “fool” originated from the French word “fouler” which means “to mash” or “to press,” which is what you must do to the berries in this recipe. I read this book to third and fourth graders, and asked them what they think might have changed over the years.  They came up with great answers, including their clothing and where they got the ingredients.  It was much easier for the family in 2010 to go to the store to purchase the berries and cream than it was in 1710, when the mother and her daughter had to pick th