(photo courtesy of Wernick & Pratt Agency)
(photo courtesy of The New York Times)
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Schooled or Linked by Gordon Korman
Ghost (or any book in the Track series) by Jason Reynolds
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (either the graphic novel or the novel in verse)
Here are the 25 book nominations for next year's MCBA award! Stratton library will be acquiring these titles real soon. Students can also check them out on Sora...there are unlimited copies available!
Thank you to all of our 4th and 5th grade participants who read at least 5 of the 25 nominated books and voted on their favorite book! We are happy to announce that Alone is the MCBA 22-23 winner!
Check out the GIGANTIC gratefulness banner created by the students, Ms. Francis, and parent volunteers.
We are kicking off this month-long celebration by reading these picture books.
An immigrant family finds refuge in the local library.
The story of how one family fought for immigrants to attend public schools in California.
How one immigrant changed how libraries make connections with immigrants.
We are so excited to welcome students back to the library! This week, we are taking a tour of the library by following clues from the Gingerbread Man and learning about book care. Check out this cool game where students decided if the behavior was acceptable library behavior.
What NOT to do!
SpongeBob is doing it the right way!
It's true. Circulation has closed and it's time to bring back your library books!
Today we took a trip to Hawaii to learn about its land, culture and history! In grades 3-5, we touched upon the unique geological landscape, the national parks, Pearl Harbor, and Japanese internment. Then we read Ho'onani Hula Warrior by Heather Gale, a story based on the experience of a Hawaiian girl who doesn't identify as a wahine (girl) or kane (boy) and auditions for an all-male hula troupe. We learned that the mahu means "in the middle" in the Hawaiian language. In grades K-2, we talked about the hula dance and some key facts about Hawaii. Then we read Sakamoto's Swim Club by Julie Abery which tells the true story of a science teacher who trained a group of swimmers in an irrigation ditch to become Olympic swimmers.
Christina Soontornvat is the award-winning author of over a dozen books for children of all ages. Her picture books include The Ramble Shamble Children, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Lauren Castillo, and Simon at the Art Museum, illustrated by Christine Davenier. She is the author of the beloved Diary of an Ice Princess chapter book series. Her recent works include the middle grade fantasy, A Wish in the Dark, which was named a 2021 Newbery Honor Book, and was chosen as Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and School Library Journal, and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team, which received the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature and was also named a 2021 Newbery Honor Book. Her latest novel, The Last Mapmaker, published April 2022 from Candlewick Press.
Christina Soontornvat grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Thai restaurant in a small Texas town with her nose stuck in a book. She is very proud of both her Thai and her Texan roots, and makes regular trips to both Weatherford and Bangkok to see her beloved family members (and eat lots and lots of Thai food!). In addition to being an author, Christina holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Science Education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. She is passionate about STEM (science, technology engineering, and math), and loves learning new things. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, two young children, and one old cat.
In an effort to support a diverse, accepting and kind community, we are reading both fiction and non-fiction books featuring people with autism.
A sweet story about an older brother who receives support from his autistic little brother during a time of need.
A non-fiction book that tells the story about how Temple Grandin's brain works in unusual and magnificent ways.
Another non-fiction book that explains why and how Temple Grandin invented a squeeze machine.
This week, students learned about how our Muslim friends participate in daytime fasting during the month of Ramadan. We read two stories. See below!
Today, Stratton 4th and 5th graders took a virtual field trip to Mexico to visit the Museo Frida Kahlo. Two sneaky skeletons "locked" the students in the museum and they had to work together to solve puzzles and riddles to escape the museum! It was super fun!
This month we celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of women around the world! Look below to see the books we are reading in the library.
Inspired by the true story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese African Cuban girl who broke Cuba's taboo against female drummers. This book received the Pura Belpre Award in 2016.
This book tells the story of how two sisters became the best tennis players of all time. And it all started with a dream!
This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, and discover!
Each day we will learn about two black Americans who have made major contributions in the areas of activism, science, sports, poetry, entertainment, and government. Today we learned about poet and activist Amanda Gorman and professional boxer and poet Muhammad Ali!
(left) Amanda Gorman's picture book
(below) Video of "The Hill We Climb," inauguration day poem
Click here to see all the winners! Below are the 2022 Caldecott winners!
Watercress by Andrea Wang
Illustrated by Jason Chin
Have You Ever Seen A Flower?
written and illustrated by Shawn Harris
Wonder Walkers
written and illustrated by Micha Archer
Mel Fell
written and illustrated by Corey Tabor
by Carole Boston Weatherford
illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Stratton students are enjoying coloring in the GIANT sloth poster in the library! Stay tuned for the big reveal when it's finished!
A the end of January, the American Library Association will announce the Caldecott Medal to the book with the most outstanding illustrations! In anticipation of this announcement, Arlington students will judge 10 picture books that the school librarians think *could* be the winner. Students are learning about different art techniques, the impact of text placement, how the use of color evokes different emotions, and the use of double-page spreads. At the end of the month, the students will vote on their favorite picture book and we will announce Stratton's winner and find out Arlington students' favorite picture book of 2021. Look at the slideshow below to explore the books we think might win!
We continue to recognize winter holidays by reading some festive books about holiday traditions!
A story about bravery and finding a place to call home.
A tale about how an accident can lead to a new friendship.
A wish for peace and harmony comes true after a snow storm.
We learned about two celestial events including the comet Leonard which was visible to the northern hemisphere last week and the geminid meteor shower which peaked December 13-14.
Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon tells the story of a girl who wants to be an astronaut and tries to get her entire neighborhood to share her enthusiasm for space.
December is here and we want to wish our Jewish friends a happy Hanukkah! Look at the books we are reading in library!
If you liked Tomie dePaola's book Strega Nona, you'll love this story!
A favorite fairy tale mixed with Hanukkah traditions.
A silly story by the one and only Lemony Snicket!
We featured a number of books during the week of Thanksgiving...take a look below!
Did you know we almost lost Thanksgiving? This book tells the story of a very persistent woman saved the holiday.
We learn how sharing with others makes the world a better place.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is a longstanding American tradition. We learn about the origins of this parade in this book.
Today we read Lubna and Pebble, a story about a refugee girl whose best friend is a pebble. We learned that even when we are small, an act of kindness can help make another person's day better.
Today we featured origami books in our library and even tried making our own origami!
November is GRATITUDE month. Let's start by thanking a veteran! Watch this video of a veteran reading Night Catch!
We highlight books by Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous authors and books about Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous cultures and experiences to make sure students have mirrors to see themselves and windows into cultures and experiences other than their own.
Click on this link to learn more Native American Heritage Month Slideshow
It is November and a time for many celebrations! This week, we are learning about Diwali, a holiday that originated in India. It is known as the festival of light because good triumphs over evil. Check out the books we are reading in library class!
While Pride Month is celebrated in June each year, LGBTQIA+ history is honored in October in conjunction with National Coming Out Day. National Coming Out Day is an annual event held on October 11 to support people who are safely able to "come out of the closet" and increase awareness and understanding of LGBTQIA+ lives and culture.
APS K-8 Libraries celebrate our LGBTQIA+ students, staff, friends and family in October and every month. Click here to learn more about the books we highlight during this month.
We recognize and highlight many holidays celebrated at this time of year. Day of the Dead is just one of many celebrations we feature! Check out this slideshow to see the picture books we read for each holiday!
In library, we discussed why spooky stories are timeless and prevalent in every culture around the world. As a class, we talked about how spooky stories make us feel and what we can learn from the characters in spooky stories.
In 4th and 5th grade, we talked about how some of the spookiest stories are TRUE! Examples include the Apollo 13 mission and the rescue of the Wild Boars boys soccer team in Thailand. We listened to author Christina Soontornvat read an excerpt from her non-fiction book describing in detail the rescue effort. Click here to watch the clip. Click here to watch the trailer for the documentary film out in theaters now called The Rescue.
We also highlighted the I Survived! book series and a new series called Girls Survive. Both series are gripping and action-packed historical fiction stories.
We learned about how brown bears fatten up in preparation for winter and hibernation.
Visit the Fat Bear Week website to vote for your favorite chubby bear!
5th graade learned about censorship and the importance of allowing every voice to be heard.
We have 18 boxes with over 720 new books to unpack! Stay tuned as we get these books ready for you!
We have been talking about sharing our pronouns and why it is important. Here are two stories about conversations that happened during library class over Zoom:
"A RA student asked about the words after my name on my zoom screen (she/her/hers). I explained how pronouns are words we use in place of a person's name so that speaking can be easier. (Being the grammar nerd that I am, I made sure to take advantage of the teachable moment and provide a mini part-of-speech lesson). Then I explained that I put my pronouns next to my name because I want students to know how to address me. I told them that in some instances, the pronouns they think they should use for people may be incorrect because it is based on the person's appearance. A person may use different pronouns because of how they feel on the inside, or because they choose to have long hair if they are a boy, or short hair if they are a girl. I said that in order to not make anyone feel uncomfortable or offended, sharing our pronouns lets others know what to call us. There was silence, so I let them marinate in that information for a bit. Then students started sharing their own personal experiences: one student talked about how she moved to Stratton from another school because she had a short haircut and was bullied when classmates repeatedly called her a boy. Her story gave her classmates courage to share that they too have been called by the wrong pronoun because their name or haircut made it unclear to others whether they were a he/she. It was an amazing conversation. I was so happy they felt comfortable talking about those things with me and their classmates."
"Today, a student asked me a question about my pronouns. I went through the same talk and explained how they are free to add their pronouns if they want. A handful of students added their pronouns right away!!!"
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
PRIDE: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
Need recommendations for more PRIDE books? Watch this video!
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Lift by Minh Le
Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought The Dumpling From Beijing to Cambridge by Carrie Clickard
Luka's Quilt by Georgia Guback
Building Zaha by Victoria Tentler-Krylov
The World is Not A Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeannette Winter
A Map Into the World by Kao Kalia Yang
Paper Son by Julie Leung
Where's Halmoni? by Julie Kim
Punk band "Linda Lindas" perform at the Los Angeles Public Library