What's Happening at the BSS Library?

Second graders have been listening to some Little Red Riding Hood tales from around the world.  First we read the traditional tale, and it was a beautifully illustrated digital die cut version by Sybille Schenker. The pages are so detailed and exquisite. Next we traveled to Ghana and read  Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa  by Niki Daly.  We also read  Lon Po Po : A Red-Riding Hood Story From China  by Ed Young.  The students were great at picking out details that were similar across the stories and also the differences.  Next time we will create a Venn Diagram to chart the similarities and differences we found. Mrs. Carroll gave me this beautiful handcrafted doll that converts from Little Red to Grandmother and also the Wolf. Mrs. Carroll has used this doll for many years in her classroom, and I am so happy to have it in the Library!

 I have been working on gathering resources onto a new Google Site! It is still in the beginning stages, but check out what I've added so far.  There are plenty of read alouds and instructions for BSS students to access ebooks on the Destiny Discover library catalog.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me! BSS Virtual Library Site

Because it has been difficult lately for many people to access books, I have been gathering read alouds here on my " Virtual Library ." I will be updating these pages, so check back often!

I have posted information about required and suggested summer reading in the  Summer Reading page  of this blog.  I love creating suggested reading lists for students, and I know how important it is for students to be able to choose what they want to read.  I will be updating it throughout the summer, so be sure to check back! I also included information on how to access the e-books purchased by BSS for students to read. To go right to my lists of suggested reading by grade,  visit this link .

Click on the image below and choose an activity that you are interested in! Clicking on the links will bring you to different slides or websites. You can make the slides larger by entering full screen mode (click on the square next to the gear at the bottom of the slide). You can always click the "Go Back Home" button to return to the main menu. Have fun!

I was very inspired by this story, Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah . At the time of his birth in Ghana in West Africa, he only had one functional leg. He was otherwise healthy, but where he lived disabled people typically did not go to school or work but rather just begged for money.  His mother encouraged him to go to school and do the things that other children could do. His life story was made into a documentary called Emmanuel's Gift, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in his story.

I thought that this book would be a nice send off as the students head off into summer vacation.  It's a simple and sweet story about the things we hope for those that we love. I hope that everyone has a fantastic summer!

I love how the character in this story is so creative and perseverant, and how she learns from her mistakes.  She has a vision of a project she'd like to create, but she can't get it right.  She tries over and over, and almost quits. The way she thinks and grows is so important in the creative process, and is a great introduction to STEM and other projects.

My three children loved to listen to stories when they were younger.  They are between the ages of 19 and 24 now, but still enjoy reading.  Jessica, my youngest daughter, asked if she could be a guest reader on my blog.  I was more than happy to oblige! She chose to read The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach, which I thought was a great choice with many students learning about butterflies and hatching their own at home. Enjoy!

The book Hair Love is based on an animated film by former NFL player, Matthew Cherry. It's a wonderful story about a father helping his daughter fix her hair because it is a very special day. After listening to my read aloud, click on the image below to watch the animated film the book was based on. It won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film this year!

There are many Three Little Pig stories out there, but this one is quite different! There is a Voice that comes out of nowhere, and why are the pigs so pale? It is a very fun story.

Mae Among the Stars is based on the life of Mae Jemison, who was the first African American woman in space. When her teacher asked her students what they wanted to be when they grew up, Mae said an astronaut.  Her teacher didn't think this was realistic, and suggested being a nurse instead. Mae's parents told her: “If you dream it, believe in it, and work hard for it, anything is possible.”

My favorite part of this book is looking at all the popular picture books scattered throughout the main character's room.  He has books all over the floor and on shelves, and I liked trying to read what each title was.  This is a very funny story!

Yasmin is another great beginner reading series.  Here is Yasmin the Zookeeper by Saadia Faruqui.

Jack is a great new beginner reading series! Here is Too Many Jacks by Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli.

Hello BSS Students and Families, As we transition into online learning, I have been gathering links to ebooks, audiobooks, and other virtual activities that students can use at home. I've gathered these resources onto my Online Resources   page so take a look!  I have also created pages for: Read Alouds by Mrs. Ferguson Author's Websites and Social Media Pages Weekly Library Choice Board (choices of activities to try, will be changed every week) March Book Madness Voting (to vote for BSS students' favorite picture book) View the Pages section of this blog to see other material too! Feel free to comment on any of the posts to let me know what you enjoyed or if you have questions.  You can also email me with any photos or your child learning at home so we can post to the BSS social media pages. I will be having virtual Zoom office hours on Wednesdays at 11:30 (information will be provided by the classroom teachers on either Seesaw or Google Classroom)....

Here are two stories about Memorial Day, which is a day we honor all members of the U. S. Military who have died. I also recommend watching the video from an episode of Reading Rainbow , in which Maya Lin is interviewed.  Lin is the architect of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is featured in the story The Wall . Memorial Day Surprise The Wall by Eve Bunting

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers is a great book to talk about persuasive writing.  Everything these two creators have written/illustrated are HUGE hits!

Here is another Final Four contender by Drew Daywalt. Adam Rex's illustrations really complete this hysterical book!

No, David! by David Shannon Here is a another book in our Final Four of Picture Books. This book is a classic!