What's Happening at the BSS 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!

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.

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!

We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins is one of the books in our Final Four!

It seems like everyone loves Mo Willems, and for good reason! His stories are so much fun and make us laugh. This story is very popular with students! I hope you enjoy it. There is also a sequel called Sam, the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World. Click the box on the bottom right corner for fullscreen.

Read Aloud of Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent It is so much fun to recite the title character's name... Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo. Can you count how many letters are in his name? Not counting the hypens (-) count them all! How many letters are in your first name? Probably not as many as in his name! His name is repeated often in the story, so see if you can say it along with me. Click the box on the bottom right corner for fullscreen. *Temporary permission to post this video by Henry Holt and Company.