Buddy

Buddy by M.H. Herlong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A stray dog...a boy who wants a dog...a hurricane that destroys a city. These elements make for an awesome book! Lil T wants a dog, but his family can't afford one. When they are driving to church and hit a dog, causing the dog to have a leg amputated, Lil T sacrifices to make the dog his own. When Hurricane Katrina threatens, Lil T must leave his dog, Buddy, behind. With a few unexpected twists, this book will leave readers in tears!

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Summer of the Gypsy Moths

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stella lives with her great aunt, Louise, while her mother is trying to get her life together. Readers learn that Stella's mom has spent most of her life trying to get it together but 12 year old Stella has hope that this time will be different than the rest. Stella isn't alone at Louise's house--Louise has also taken in another 12 year old girl as a foster child. When Louise unexpectedly passes away, the girls hide the fact she is dead so they can avoid ending up in the foster care system. They take care of the summer cottages and find ways to survive on their own. While not fully plausible (I would hope) it's still a great story!

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The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Jacob is left on John and Marta's porch with nothing more than a note pinned to him, the childless couple isn't sure what to do. Jacob can't speak so he can't help solve what's going on. An excellent story about a couple that takes care of a boy not knowing what the next day might bring.

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An Exciting Prize!

What a wonderful way to start a week! At our morning assembly before school, a rep from School Specialty was present. I remembered seeing him at the MACE conference a few weeks ago, but I just assumed he was meeting with our principal. Instead, he was there to award me with a Tech Tub, a cool storage and charging solution for iPads! I've been considering getting a few iPads for the library but haven't looked too seriously into it because the syncing and charging aspects can be time-consuming or expensive. Now, with this amazing prize, I will certainly be looking at adding a little more technology to our school! Thank you School Specialty for this great Monday morning surprise!

Haiku Deck

I'm learning so much at MACE this year!  I found a fun app/website that I want to try out with the research my 5th & 6th graders are doing.  It's called Haiku Deck and it's a great easy way to share information!


Created with Haiku Deck, the free presentation app

Barbara Park

An example of a quick and easy iMovie project about children's author Barbara Park. 

The Boy on the Porch

Sharon Creech's book about an abandoned boy taken in by a small town farm couple is a wonderful story.  This is a story I think should be shared with kids and adults of all ages to think about the impact foster families have on lives.