Many of you already know that Crocker classes visit the library once a week. Students check out one book at a time and must return their book in order to check out another. Class visits will begin the week of September 7. I’ll post the weekly schedule here very soon! The library is also open to 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday lunch recesses.

Students are welcome to stop by the library after school to return or check out books. In addition to normal school hours, I’ll be open from 3:00 – 3:15-ish daily. Please remember this time is for book exchange. If your child is waiting to be picked up, they need to wait outside on the yard or in the office.

If you’d like to help out in the library this year, you can contact me directly (lisa_a_hobbs@yahoo.com)  or talk to your child’s teacher. I’ll be in the library Tuesdays through Fridays.

Thanks,

Lisa Hobbs, Librarian

Congratulations, Crocker Highlands! Our library was selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA) to receive the We the People Bookshelf, a set of books and videos relating to American history and culture. The award supports the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture.  Click here to see the list of materials included in the We the People Bookshelf.

All Crocker students will share and benefit from these materials. We’ll be reading some of the books during library visits for all grades and in classrooms where Crocker kids study biographies, American history, and community. Congratulations, Crocker!!!

This Saturday, May 1 is Free Comic Book Day! Visit a participating comic book shop this Saturday and you’ll receive a free comic book! Comics can be a great way to get kids interested in reading. They’re also a lot of fun for kids who love to read.

If you haven’t taken a look lately, there’s a lot going on with comics these days – new comics and graphic novels, along with lots of old favorites. There are great comics for boys and girls and kids of all ages. Some of the most popular comics in the Crocker library are Babymouse by Jennifer Holm, Bone by Jeff Smith, Sardine by Emmanuel Guibert, and The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann Martin and Raina Telgemeier.  Many children’s novels are now being introduced as graphic novels like Artemis Fowl, The Boxcar Children, and Nancy Drew.

You can buy comics at book stores and comic book shops. Don’t forget you can also check them out at your local LIBRARY. The Main branch of the Oakland Public Library has a HUGE collection of comics – HUGE! Remember, just because it’s a comic book, doesn’t mean it’s for kids. Don’t hesitate to ask the folks working in a comic shop or library for advice on age-appropriate comics.

Dr. Comics on Piedmont Avenue is participating in Free Comic Book Day. Click here to find other local comic book shops that are participating , too.

If you know a kid, get them to a comic book shop this Saturday!

Congratulations to the Crocker students whose poems were selected for publication in the Young American Poetry Digest and thank you to all who submitted poems. The following students had their work selected:

1st grade: Ani, Dylan, Ella, Emily, Lily, Lily, Madeline, and Winnie
2nd grade: Anika, Cameron, Jessica, John, Lucas, Sophie, and Valentino
3rd grade: everyone in Ms. Uk/Eng’s class (yes, everyone!), Katherine, and Sohmee
5th grade: Daniel, Ella, Hannah, Isabella, Jordan, Julia, and Ruby

If your poem was selected, remember to return the permission slip by May 3. If you would like a copy of the book, complete the order form, too.

Congratulations to all of the outstanding poets!

Start rounding up your books for the next book swap – Friday, April 23. Book collection will be before school on the playground Monday-Friday, April 19-23.

In the past, we’ve donated leftover books to the East Bay Children’s Book Project. This time, we’ll also be donating books to OUSD school libraries and child development centers (CDCs). If you’ve got books you’d simply like to donate, we’ll share them at the book swap and make sure extras find a good home.

Almost all books are welcome – pre-K, early reader, picture books, novels for kids or adults, comic books, hardback, paperback, fiction, nonfiction. Please NO sticker books, coloring books, or musical/toy books. If you have friends or family who have books they’re ready to part with, we’ll take those, too.

Have a wonderful spring break

• Kids can bring a book back to the library to exchange it when they’re done – even if it isn’t their library day. Many teachers allow students to visit the library for book exchange if the class schedule permits.
• The library is open for 10-15 minutes after school each day for book exchange.
• Your child can check out more than one book – after school or at lunch – but they need permission from home. In most cases, checking out extra books isn’t necessary because students can simply exchange books when they’re finished.
• Students are allowed to check out more than one book when they’re working on research projects for classroom assignments.
• Kids and family members can check out books from the Crocker library.

Finally, all Crocker kids should visit the public library where they can check out 40 books from the children’s section – that’s right, 40!!!  A library card is free and the Oakland Public Library doesn’t charge patrons for late books (children’s section only).

Do you remember your favorite books as a child? Do you know your child’s favorite books? Some of them might be on this list of the Top 100 Children’s Novels. The list is being compiled in a blog called Fuse #8 by Elizabeth Byrd, a children’s librarian in the New York public library system. The list includes great children’s books new and old – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (#19), Ramona the Pest (#43), My Father’s Dragon (#72), Harry Potter (#35, #38, #86), The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 (#34), The Lightning Thief (#21), The Tale of Despereaux (#22), the most recent Newbery Award winner When You Reach Me (#39), and last year’s Newbery Award winner The Graveyard Book (#80).

Of course, a list like this isn’t definitive, but it’s a lot of fun and a great source of ideas. You might find a title or two you’d like to pick up at the library to read with your child. The list reminded me of books I read as a child that I’d love to share with my kids (and yours). It also includes books your kids know that they can share with your whole family. We have lots of these books in the Crocker Library and I’m sure all of them are available at the Oakland Public Library, too. You might also be interested in the list of Top 100 Picture Books from the same blog.

The list isn’t quite complete; Byrd is announcing the top 20 titles one at a time and she’s on 16. We’ll find out what’s in the top 15 over the next few weeks. If you’re interested, you’ll find lengthy descriptions of the books, cover art, and explanations for the rankings on Fuse #8.

I can’t wait to find out what takes the top spot!

Crocker kids can write a poem and have it published in the Young American Poetry Digest. Here’s what you need to do:

• Write a poem that is no more than 80 words in length.
• Type or neatly handwrite the poem.
• PUT YOUR NAME ON IT!
• Drop the poem off in the library. Put the poem in the purple envelope on the wall by the circulation desk.

All submissions are due by Friday, March 12. No late submissions accepted. All ages/grades can participate.  Questions, ask Lisa in the library or email lisa_a_hobbs@yahoo.com.

Participants will read 3 books and attend 3 meetings. We’ll read: Andrew Clements’ No Talking, Patricia McKissack’s A Friendship for Today, and Linda Urban’s A Crooked Kind of Perfect. These books are nominees in this year’s California Young Reader Medal competition. Participants will need to read a different book every two weeks. Meetings will be held during lunch/recess in the library. The 4th grade group will meet with 5th grade teacher Carrie Oretsky, librarian Lisa Hobbs, and Crocker parent Deb Collard. The 5th grade group will meet with 4th grade teacher Karen Kucharski, Lisa and parent Victoria Varieur.

If your 4th or 5th grader would like to be involved they should talk to their teacher or Lisa (lisa_a_hobbs@yahoo.com). We’ll take a maximum of 12 students in each group. Books will be provided. This book group will let us test drive the idea of having a book group at school. If it works well, we’ll look into how we might include more students and read a wider variety of books.