At home resources #2

Book Suggestions: 

Welcome back! 

Younger readers:
On Linden Square by Kate Sullivan
This is the story of a neighborhood getting through a snow storm together. If you live near Linden Street in Brookline you might recognize our neighborhood in the illustrations! Although we haven't had much snow at all this winter, the theme of neighbors working together seems appropriate for March of 2020!

Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train by Cynthia Rylant
Mr. Putter and his fine cat Tabby hope to get a chance to take the train in this early chapter book. They aren't sure that pets will be allowed on the train, but their friend Mrs. Teaberry is positive they can! Humor, friendship, and great illustrations by Arthur Howard.

Middle grades: 
Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
Dory is the youngest sister in a family of three siblings. She has a very active imagination so when her siblings try to scare her by mentioning the made-up Mrs. Gobble Gracker, Dory builds a whole world in her imagination much to the horror of her brother and sister. Very funny, great illustrations, an unforgettable character. (There are now five books in the series.)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Auggie is about to start school for the first time. He is in fifth grade but has never been to school because of all the surgeries he's had to go through. He looks different from all his peers and his family wonders how he'll be accepted by his new classmates. The picture book We're All Wonders by the same author is also pretty terrific!

Upper grades: 
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Matthias, a young mouse, is determined to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy of invading rats. Long, sweeping fantasy series. Humor, edge-of-your-seat adventure. Lots of sequels, prequels and companion stories.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Jo is a Chinese-American girl living in Atlanta in 1890. She works for a spoiled wealthy girl by day and secretly writes an advice column for the local newspaper at night. The author doesn't shy away from the racism and sexism that Jo faces in her community. Historical fiction with adventure, humor and some romance.

Public Library online resource: 
Yesterday I gave instructions for logging on to our school library's collection of ebooks. Here's how you can find many more through the public libraries:

• Go to brooklinelibrary.org  
• Choose "what we have"
• Choose "ebooks"
• You can select just kids and teen titles (left column)
• You can then select "available now" titles (left column)
• When you click on "checkout" it will ask for your library card number. If you don't have one, you can get an ecard here: https://library.minlib.net/selfreg
• Happy reading!

Please let me know if you have trouble logging in and I will try to help: kathleen_moriarty@psbma.org

Boston Public Library also has ebooks here: https://bpl.overdrive.com/library/kids

Fun Online Resource:

Free online kids' magazines via Flipster:

• Go to psbma.org
• Select "library"
• Scroll to the bottom of the page to see Flipster
• Login and password are revealed when you click on "Digital Magazines K- 8"
• Click on the cover of any magazine to read it on any device!
• Back issues are revealed when you are in a magazine, right hand column, click "all issues"

Coming up tomorrow: virtual museum trips and more!

Please reach out if you'd like a book suggestion: kathleen_moriarty@psbma.org

At home resources #1

I hope everyone is doing well!

I've been doing lots of reading (of course!) and am happy to share some ideas for your reading as you learn at home these weeks. I also plan to share some resources that can enhance your reading/ suggest a different format to read/ help research the topics you're curious about.
Sincerely, Ms. Moriarty

Book suggestions:
Maybe reminding you of some old favorites would be a good place to start.

Younger students:
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell and Lillian Hoban
Frances the badger might be called a picky eater. In this story in the series she will only eat bread and jam despite her parents' suggestions of other tasty options. The other books in the series would also be great family read-alouds.

Middle grade students:
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Sarah comes on the train from Maine to help care for two children whose mother has died. Children Anna and Caleb are hesitant to accept Sarah at first. Sarah has only promised to try living with them for a month. Will she stay? How can this stranger from Maine ever fill in for their mother? (series of 5 books)

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Realistic fiction story about Ramona and her big sister Beezus. When Ramona threatens to ruin Beezus's birthday party, big sister Beezus struggles to be the responsible, patient older sibling. Humorous adventures. Would be a good family read-aloud. (This is the first in a series of eight classic chapter books.)


Upper grade students:
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
This might be a good time to try a longer classic like The Hobbit! This is the classic tale of Bilbo Baggins who reluctantly joins the wizard Gandalf and some dwarves on a quest that will take him far from his comfortable home. Adventures and all sorts of peril are encountered along the way.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Elijah lives in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway enslaved people, and when he was born there 11 years ago, he was the first person in their community who was born free. When money is stolen from a friend who was saving up to buy his family out of captivity, Elijah goes on a dangerous journey to track down the thief. Humor along with adventure in this award-winning book.

School library's online resources:
If you haven't found our library's e-books and digital audiobooks, here are the steps to follow:

• Go to: https://search.follettsoftware.com/metasearch/ui/46515
• Scroll down to e-books and audiobooks
• Login to check out the book you choose using your psbma login (for example: 28smithj)
• Click on "checkout" and your page will be saved and you can read it on any device (iPad, laptop, desktop) 

If you have trouble logging in, please let me know: kathleen_moriarty@psbma.org

Fun online resource:
https://www.youtube.com/studiojjk
Jarrett Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady series will post a drawing lesson each day at 2 pm on his Youtube channel. He came to Lawrence School a couple years ago and we loved meeting him in person! (You can catch up on all episodes by clicking on the link above.)


Coming up tomorrow: free online magazines and more!

Stay tuned....

... Ms. Moriarty's resources and book suggestions will be posted here each weekday starting Monday, March 23. 

In the meantime, aren't you glad you have a public library card??? With the public libraries closed through at least April 6, you can still access their digital books, audiobooks and more. Go to brooklinelibrary.org and click on "See resources for while you're stuck at home". You can even sign up for an e-card there so that you won't miss out on library resources if you can't find that library card! 

The Brookline public library has a great virtual program going on right now! Challenge yourself to participate in their Read-at-home-a-thon and contribute to Brookline reading 1000 hours at home!   https://brooklinelibrary.beanstack.com/reader365

And Boston Public Library also offers an e-card to any resident of Massachusetts. Go here to find out more: https://www.bpl.org/news/remote-library-services/


More to come, friends! 

Author visit for 5 - 8 & new books for everyone!

Author visit November 7:

Thanks to the PTO, students in grades 5 -8 will visit with author Steve Sheinkin on Thursday, November 7. Mr. Sheinkin is known for lots of nonfiction titles for older readers, and his newest book is Born to Fly: the First Women's Air Race Across America. Students will visit with him in the auditorium thoughout the day on November 7. We look forward to a fun and informative event!

New Books:

We recently added the following titles to our collection! Stop by the library to check them out:

Harold Loves His Woolly Hat by Vern Kousky

Harold is a bear who feels that he's special because of his woolly, striped hat. When a crow takes that hat Harold tries his best to get it back by making a series of trades with the crow. The trades are  unsuccessful and climbs up to the crow's nest to see if he can get it back...but when he sees what the crow is doing with the hat he decides he can leave it with the crow--he's still special without his hat! Really nice illustrations and a message of kindness and the many ways one can be special. Good timing too--it's getting to be the time of year to wear a woolly hat! (Grades K - 2)

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks by Evan Turk

The unseen narrator in this book tells all kinds of creatures and living things that "they are home" in our national parks. The illustrator labels which park is being highlighted on each page. An inspiring text with beautiful illustrations and a map at the back showing some of the national parks that readers can explore.  (Grades K - 8)

Attucks: Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team that Awakened a City by Phillip Hoose

This is a page-turner of a nonfiction book. In 1955 Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis had never won a basketball tournament. They were playing with borrowed uniforms, outdated equipment, and an under-sized gym. Under the leadership of coach Ray Crowe and anchored by Oscar Robertson, the team heads toward a championship that looks highly unlikely at the outset. (Grades 5-8)

Proud: Living My American Dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad

This book is a biography of 2016 Olympian Ibihaj Muhammad who became the first American to compete wearing hijab and the first Muslim American woman to win an Olympic medal. Before she went to the Olympics, what was her life like? What things did she have to overcome? (grades 5 -8)

Welcome back!

Library classes began this week at Lawrence School!

Kindergarteners are learning the routines and were excited to choose their first book! First graders have been learning how to use the scanner (a big step up from the library cards of kindergarten) and are very proud of their new skill!

Second graders have started to collect stamps to show that they've made their way through several sections of the library. This first week the picture book section was (re)introduced and any student who borrowed a book from that section received a stamp on their "library passport". By the end of 7 weeks they will have been introduced to 7 sections of the library and will hopefully have new favorite areas to browse. (Passports will be sent home when they're complete.)

Third graders are looking forward to learning how to use the library catalog (probably after Thanksgiving) and are reacquainting themselves with their favorite titles and sections.

Fourth and fifth graders have a fifteen minute browsing time each week. Some students will use the time to read a book they've started in the classroom, others will actively search for titles to borrow for the week.

Middle schoolers have a weekly browsing time (usually aligned with advisory/ workshop time) and are encouraged to come before or after school.

Library hours: 
Monday & Tuesday: 7:50 - 8 am & 2:30 - 2:45 pm
Wednesday & Thursday: 7:50 - 8 am & 2:30 - 3 pm
Friday: 7:50 - 8 am only (the library closes at 1:40 each Friday)

Please stop by and see what we have. The books that were purchased in Marie Leman's (retired 3rd grade teacher) name are on display in the library this September, as are books about climate change (in conjunction with the Friday, September 20th Boston Climate Strike).