Huge Success at the Book Fair!

Thank you so much for your support of the library at the Barnes and Noble book fair last week!  The Swain sales for the day were over $10,500 and we will receive over $2100 to purchase new books for the Umanksky Library.  Have an idea of a book we should get?  Comment here and let me know.

Thanks!

Kristen

Everest resources

o      http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/everest.html

o      http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/climb/

Barnes and Noble Book Fair is coming!

Please join us for a book fair at Barnes and Noble at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley next Tuesday, November 10.  This is one of two major fundraisers for the Swain Umansky Library.  Last year, with your support, we beat our goal of $10,000 in sales for the day and earned over $2300 to buy new books for the library!  We are hoping to do even better this year.

 

Author Eli Kowalski will be back signing his new book about the Eagles, Concrete Charlie: An Oral History of Philadelphia's Great Football Legend Chuck Bednarik.  And, if you missed out last year, he will also sign his other book about the Eagles, Looking Back: 75 Years of Eagles History.

 

Got Cheesecake?  New this year, support the book fair by purchasing a whole Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. Choose from:New York Original Cheesecake, Godiva Double Chocolate Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, or Carrot Cake Pre-order by Friday, November 6 if you want to pick it up on the night of the book fair, or place your order at the book fair and pick your cheesecake up in time for Thanksgiving or in December.

 

Can’t make it out or have out of town relatives who want to help?  Call in your order to 610-791-3261 and mention the Swain Book Fair.

 

Fun events:

• Face painting
• Scavenger hunt
• Celebrity teacher book readers
• Get your picture taken with Paws

 

Teacher wish lists, Todd and Kyle recommends table, buy holiday gifts – books, cds, dvds, games

Resources for the Constitutional Convention

These are some helpful links in finding out more about your delegate and what he thought about the issues at the Convention:

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
http://constitutioncenter.org/ncc_edu_Founders.aspx
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/debcont.asp
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/continental/constit.html

Six-word Book Reviews

There’s a new book out called, I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-word memoirs by teens famous & obscure edited by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser.  Inspired by this book, our sixth graders wrote six-word book reviews on some of their favorite (and not-so-favorite) books.  See how much power and meaning we can fit into six words if we choose them carefully.

 

Nix Voldemort, but first destroy the horcruxes.  –Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

He’s so young, yet so talented.  –The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznik

This book is sweet as honey.  –Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne

Girl witches, broomsticks, bras, and spells.  –Bras and Broomsticks, Sarah Mlynowski

She wasn’t afraid, but still knew.  –Tuck Everlasting, Natlie Babbit

Dive tail first into this book.  –Ingo, Helen Dunmore

Four sisters, one dog – sick nasty.  –The Penderwicks, Jeanne Birdsall

Not for reading.  It’s for devouring!  --The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan

The most freaking awesome book ever.  –Around the world in 80 Days, Jules Verne

Don’t be a snail; write emails.  –Snail Mail No More, Paula Danzige

Three big kids, many little riddles.  –The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stewart

An amazing, tragic, and heartbreaking tale.  –Fever 1793, Laurie Halse Anderson

Hate it.  Don’t read it.  Yuk!  --Day of the Unicorn, Molly Hunter

Hunger Games

I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins last year and just reread it because the sequel, Catching Fire, was just released on September 1st. I can't wait to read Catching Fire and will definitely post a review here when I do, but for now let me strongly recommend that you read The Hunger Games. It takes place in the future in a new society built in North America from the ruins of the United States. The Capital has all of the power over the 12 outlying districts - keeping the people in poverty in order preserve their strength. As a testament to the absolute power of the Capital, every year each district has to send 2 teenagers to the Capital to compete in the Hunger Games. It is a battle to the death where the winner is the sole survivor. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen is the female competitor from District 12, the coal mining district. Even before the Hunger Games Katniss has shown her strength by breaking the rules and going hunting to provide food for her family. Her strength, will, and cunning help her in the battle for her life in the Hunger Games.

Suzanne Collins does an amazing job of telling a compelling story of survival, bravery, and loyalty. I certainly can't do the book justice in this short review, but it is one of the best books I've ever read! Even Stephenie Meyer and Rick Riordan are fans.

"I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it...The Hunger Games is amazing."
--Stephenie Meyer, author of The Twilight Saga

"The Hunger Games is as close to perfect an adventure novel as I've ever read. I could not put it down. Collins has transformed the ancient Labyrinth myth into a terrifyingly believable tale of future America. Readers will be hungry for more."
--Rick Riordan, author of The Percy Jackson Series and The 39 Clues

Here are some of the awards that is won:

• PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: CHILDREN'S FICTION
• NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF 2008
• AN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TOP TEN BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS SELECTION
• SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOKS Of 2008

We have two copies in the library, come check them out!

Wordle!

In School Library Journal this summer, I read an article about wordle.net and went to check it out. It is a website where you can paste any text and the software creates "word clouds" for you. Wordle disregards common words and makes the words that appear most often larger than the rest. It is a great way to see the most important parts or themes of a piece of writing. Above is a Wordle that I created using the text of the poem "Dream Big". You can edit the font, colors, layout to make a truly unique "word cloud" that can be used for just about anything - posters, t-shirts, book covers, etc. You can even use your wordle on items that you sell!

Check it out and let me know what you think.

New Books!

I hope you have had a great summer of reading, I can't wait to hear about all of the great books that you have read!  We just got some new books in the library, so come check them out next week.

BETSY TACY

BETSY AND TACY GO DOWNTOWN

BETSY AND TACY GO OVER THE BIG HILL

BETSY TACY AND TIB

BEYOND THE GRAVE – 39 CLUES

BOBS BEST EVER FRIEND

ENTOMOLOGICAL TALES OF AUGUSTA T. PERCIVAL: PETRONELLA SAVES NEARLY EVERYONE 

EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE

GIRL WHO THREW BUTTERFLIES

GIRLS AGAINST GIRLS

GOLDILICIOUS

GREAT EGYPTIAN GRAVE ROBBER – FLAT STANLEY

H I V E -  HIGHER INSTITUTE OF VILLAINOUS EDUCATION

HIGHER HIGHER

JUAN BOBO GOES TO WORK

LETS DO NOTHING

MAN ON THE MOON - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BOB

MEET REBECCA – AN AMERICAN GIRL

MERCY WATSON SOMETHING WONKY

OVERLORD PROTOCOL - HIVE

PIERRE IN LOVE

READICIDE HOW SCHOOLS ARE  KILLING  READING

SOUL ENCHILADA

SPARROW GIRL

STUART GOES TO SCHOOL

SYLVIE

WINK THE NINJA

YOUNG CAM JANSEN & ICE SKATING MYSTERY

YOUNG CAM JANSEN & LOST TOOTH MYSTERY

YOUNG CAM JANSEN BASEBALL MYSTERY

YOUNG CAM JANSEN MOLLY SHOE MYSTERY

Required Summer Reading Information

All of the information for Summer Reading is available on the library page on Swain website.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Ms. Armstrong

http://www.swain.org/student_life/library.php

Summer Reading - be a Star Reader!

This summer, in order to be a Star Reader, students need to participate in a Summer Reading Program through their local public library. Each public library has its own program based on the theme "Be Creative @ Your Library". In addition to offering prizes for students who complete a reading log, libraries also offer many free programs for residents including story times, craft programs, theatre, music, science and lots of other fun activities. For the first time, many libraries will even let you track your reading online, so you can participate even if you are going to be away for the summer. Visit your local public library to find out more!

Allentown Public Library

Bethlehem Public Library

Easton Area Public Library

Emmaus Public Library

Lower Macungie Public Library

Parkland Library

Southern Lehigh Public Library

find your local public library

There are many public libraries in the Lehigh Valley, and you can join the Summer Reading Programs and borrow books from any of them. First, though, you have to get a card from your home branch. If you are unsure of where your home library is, check out this link from the Allentown Public Library:
http://www.allentownpl.org/service_areas_lehigh.htm

TumbleBooks

Oh my goodness, this website is so cool!  TumbleBooks and TumbleReadables are databases provided FOR FREE by the Parkland Community Library.  On TumbleBooks, students can listen to and read along with popular picture books.  On TumbleReadables, there are books for upper elementary students, middle schoolers and young adults.  There is also a section for the classics and Shakespeare.  Students can read or listen to the full text of novels right on the site.  Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://catalog.parklandlibrary.org/Parkland/contentpages.asp?loc=28

(You must access the sites through the Parkland Library website.)

Mr. Armstrong recommends The Book Thief

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is an amazing journey of survival and courage. A work of historical fiction uniquely told through the eyes of Death, it’s the story of a young German girl named Liesel Meminger who discovers the power of words by stealing books. Set in Nazi Germany during World War II, The Book Thief is filled with stories about goodness, friendship, destruction, and compassion. You won’t be able to put it down! Recommended for seventh graders and older.

The best word shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest. One such word shaker was a small, skinny girl. She was renowned as the best word shaker of her region because she knew how powerless a person could be without words (Zusak, 446).

Local Libraries

Here are links to several local public libraries. They will all have summer reading programs, and I encourage you to check in with your closest public library to find out what events they have coming up.

Lower Macungie Library
http://lowermaclib.org/index.cfm

Emmaus Public Library
http://www.emmauspl.org/

Allentown Public Library
http://www.allentownpl.org/

Bethlehem Public Library
http://bapl.org/

I am the Messenger

I recently read I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak. It is a story about a young man named Ed Kennedy who is drifting through life without much direction, outside of driving his taxi and playing cards and drinking with his friends. Ed's life is changed dramatically when he stops a bank robbery and starts receiving mystery missions that are delivered on playing cards. The missions are vague, but direct him to help random strangers. Though he has no idea who is sending him the cards, Ed completes each mission and through his work, he finds that his life is being changed as well. This story highlights how our lives are all interconnected and that we can really make a difference with small gestures.

Looking for a good book to read?

There are several great resources if you are looking for book recommendations.

• ALA's Current Notable Children's Book List http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/childrensnotable/notablechibooks/index.cfm
• Houston Area Independent Schools Library Network Reading Lists (broken down by grade)
  http://www.haisln.org/recommendedreadinglists.html
• Town School for Boys Reading Lists (broken down by grade) http://www.townschool.com/library/summer_reading.php
• The Armstrong Family's recommendations
  http://www.goodreads.com/swainreads