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