Here are the books that made it into our local public library from "Holiday Tree" project (in no particular order - I'm typing from the ornaments I just received back from the library):
A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet by Kathryn Lasky
The Wall by Eve Bunting
An Octopus is Amazing by Patricia Lauber
Everybody Serves Soup by Norah Dooley
Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John
Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray
What's Your Angle Pythagoras? A Math Adventure by Julie Ellis
Painting Aalesund by Tod B. Steward
Cryptomania: Teleporting into Greek and Latin with the Cryptokids by Edith Hope Fine
Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving by Greg Tang
1001 Things to Spot in the Sea (Usborne)
Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace
Sybil Ludington's Midnight Ride by Marsha Amstel
Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
The Wright Brothers for Kids: How They Invented the Airplane (21 Activities Exploring the Science and History of Flight) by Mary Kay Carson
How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer
Secrets of Lost Empires: Inca (DVD)
A Parent's Guide to Montessori Play and Learn by Lesley Britton
Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied
Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace
Betsy Was a Junior and Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace
To Whom Shall We Go? Lessons from the Apostle Peter by Archbishop Timothy Dolan
What's in a Chinese Character by Tan Huay Peng
I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford
The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science and Technology Come Alive by John Graham-Cumming
Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore by Jean L.S. Patrick
My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me by Jane Yolen
Make: The Best of 75 Projects
The Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders: From Novice to Master Observer by Robert Bruce Thompson
I think there were a few more that I didn't get the ornaments back on - there were apparently 40 sold all together. Also, the library is planning on purchasing the remaining Betsy-Tacy books. The old copies had worn out and been discarded (and I don't think they had had the high school level books around in years, if they ever did), so the only thing relating to Betsy-Tacy in the library before we started last year's tree was a children's biography of the author. Glad to help fix that omission! :)
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Friday, March 05, 2010
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Few Last Minute Additions that Didn't Make it into the Picture Below:
Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders (DIY Science) by Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson
Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments (DIY Science) by Robert Bruce Thompson
Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments (DIY Science) by Robert Bruce Thompson
It's that Library Tree Time of Year Again
The biggest news this year is that we have another local library taking on our project (a friend of mine helped make the connection) and so now we are starting to put great family reading into TWO libraries at once! :)
You can read about our previous efforts in this area by looking at our library topic tab.
I finished up the ornaments last night, with some much appreciated help from John and from Gus. The work went a little quicker this year as I have quite a few leftovers from last year to fill in. I can also add more over the next few weeks if it's needed.
Here are the books pictured (plus one that's not). Most of the leftovers from last year are DVDs as they sold a lot more slowly. Since we still have the ornaments, I thought I'd keep trying and see if we can get a few more each time. I imagine that, though most of the buyers seem more interested in books, there are probably a few for whom DVDs will be more appealing.
Ordered from left to right, starting at the top (if you can figure that out!):
The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Soule
The Grunt Padre
Beatrice's Goat
Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive
Buildings that Changed the World (I found this at a different local library while working on an Architecture Unit Study for Heart and Mind Magazine a few years ago - and really liked it!)
101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12
Nicolaus Copernicus: The Earth is a Planet
Sholom's Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer
Ten Mile Day and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
Penguins by Seymour Simon
Mom and Dad are Palindromes
Dolley Madison Saves George Washington
Mary Cassatt: Impressionist Painter
One Grain of Rice by Demi
In Flanders' Field: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Annushka's Voyage
How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning
First Farm in the Valley
Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression
The Best Beekeeper of Lalibella: A Tale from Africa
My Heart Lies South: The Story of My Mexican Marriage
Hero on Horseback: The Story of Casimir Pulaski
Taj Mahal by Caroline Arnold
Brave Harriet
Everybody Bakes Bread
Bessie Smith and the Night Riders (this one may not make it in as I just realized that I accidentally printed it up with the wrong description - not much time to fix it today, so I may put it aside for next year)
The Swamp Fox of the Revolution (not pictured)
How I Find the Books:
This is not an exact science. I don't get to read very many of the books ahead of time - they're just not available to me for purchase (and I obviously can't find them yet in my local library!). Here are some of my methods for finding good stuff:
First, I take at least one "research" trip to a big local bookstore. I always find some nice goodies and get to take a close look at these. My favorites from this year's trip were Planting the Trees of Kenya (which our library already owns) and 101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12. Good stuff! These books don't require further research since I get to look at them myself. Just have to check them against the library's online catalog.
Certain authors and series can be reliable enough for me to add new selections to our tree without seeing them ahead of time. We've done a lot of books from the Sterling Point Biographies and from Lets Read-and-Find-Out Science. Filling in the library's collection of certain favorite authors and illustrators can also be a good idea. For example, last year Tomie de Paola's book on St. Patrick was added to the library through this project.
Next, I find online or in-print book lists to filter through some helpful recommendations. Last year, I made substantial use of Maureen Wittman's For the Love of Literature. This year, Cay Gibson's Picture Perfect Childhood was extremely helpful. I make up lists of books that look interesting and then research them on Amazon.com to make sure they're in print and to check out the reviews. Since I don't get to see these books ahead of time, I'm very fussy at this stage - I look to see that the reviewers are happy and that there are no major flaws. Book descriptions and reviews will often give clues about bias and tone.
I also pick up book titles here and there from the blogosphere and whatnot. For example, the Creative Family is a title I've seen a number of homeschool moms blog about. Sounds good!
Overall, I've noticed that picture books tend to sell better than chapter books and DVDs sell very slowly. It's likely that I'll be turning to Cay Gibson's book again next year as there are plenty of suggestions left to check out.
What I'm Trying to Accomplish:
It seems to me that picture books are a great way to encourage good education today. Not only are they appealing and in the midst of a sort of Renaissance right now (lots of true, good and beautiful stuff out there!) but they also tend to be less agenda-based than the textbooks that children are using in schools. (Read Language Police by Diane Ravitch if you're not familiar with these problems). I'm not out to promote a specific agenda or sneak something in under the librarians' noses. Instead, I'm focusing on the true, the good and the beautiful - often in the form of natural virtues and good things that everyone can appreciate, but won't necessarily encounter without this sort of nudge. Good things that seem to abound in books like these include concepts like: charity and kindness, hope, perseverance, beauty in nature, appreciation of the dignity of the person, cultural connectedness, historical perspective and the sense that one person really can make a difference.
You can read about our previous efforts in this area by looking at our library topic tab.
I finished up the ornaments last night, with some much appreciated help from John and from Gus. The work went a little quicker this year as I have quite a few leftovers from last year to fill in. I can also add more over the next few weeks if it's needed.
Here are the books pictured (plus one that's not). Most of the leftovers from last year are DVDs as they sold a lot more slowly. Since we still have the ornaments, I thought I'd keep trying and see if we can get a few more each time. I imagine that, though most of the buyers seem more interested in books, there are probably a few for whom DVDs will be more appealing.
Ordered from left to right, starting at the top (if you can figure that out!):
The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections by Amanda Soule
The Grunt Padre
Beatrice's Goat
Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive
Buildings that Changed the World (I found this at a different local library while working on an Architecture Unit Study for Heart and Mind Magazine a few years ago - and really liked it!)
101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12
Nicolaus Copernicus: The Earth is a Planet
Sholom's Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer
Ten Mile Day and the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
Penguins by Seymour Simon
Mom and Dad are Palindromes
Dolley Madison Saves George Washington
Mary Cassatt: Impressionist Painter
One Grain of Rice by Demi
In Flanders' Field: The Story of the Poem by John McCrae
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Annushka's Voyage
How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning
First Farm in the Valley
Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression
The Best Beekeeper of Lalibella: A Tale from Africa
My Heart Lies South: The Story of My Mexican Marriage
Hero on Horseback: The Story of Casimir Pulaski
Taj Mahal by Caroline Arnold
Brave Harriet
Everybody Bakes Bread
Bessie Smith and the Night Riders (this one may not make it in as I just realized that I accidentally printed it up with the wrong description - not much time to fix it today, so I may put it aside for next year)
The Swamp Fox of the Revolution (not pictured)
How I Find the Books:
This is not an exact science. I don't get to read very many of the books ahead of time - they're just not available to me for purchase (and I obviously can't find them yet in my local library!). Here are some of my methods for finding good stuff:
First, I take at least one "research" trip to a big local bookstore. I always find some nice goodies and get to take a close look at these. My favorites from this year's trip were Planting the Trees of Kenya (which our library already owns) and 101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12. Good stuff! These books don't require further research since I get to look at them myself. Just have to check them against the library's online catalog.
Certain authors and series can be reliable enough for me to add new selections to our tree without seeing them ahead of time. We've done a lot of books from the Sterling Point Biographies and from Lets Read-and-Find-Out Science. Filling in the library's collection of certain favorite authors and illustrators can also be a good idea. For example, last year Tomie de Paola's book on St. Patrick was added to the library through this project.
Next, I find online or in-print book lists to filter through some helpful recommendations. Last year, I made substantial use of Maureen Wittman's For the Love of Literature. This year, Cay Gibson's Picture Perfect Childhood was extremely helpful. I make up lists of books that look interesting and then research them on Amazon.com to make sure they're in print and to check out the reviews. Since I don't get to see these books ahead of time, I'm very fussy at this stage - I look to see that the reviewers are happy and that there are no major flaws. Book descriptions and reviews will often give clues about bias and tone.
I also pick up book titles here and there from the blogosphere and whatnot. For example, the Creative Family is a title I've seen a number of homeschool moms blog about. Sounds good!
Overall, I've noticed that picture books tend to sell better than chapter books and DVDs sell very slowly. It's likely that I'll be turning to Cay Gibson's book again next year as there are plenty of suggestions left to check out.
What I'm Trying to Accomplish:
It seems to me that picture books are a great way to encourage good education today. Not only are they appealing and in the midst of a sort of Renaissance right now (lots of true, good and beautiful stuff out there!) but they also tend to be less agenda-based than the textbooks that children are using in schools. (Read Language Police by Diane Ravitch if you're not familiar with these problems). I'm not out to promote a specific agenda or sneak something in under the librarians' noses. Instead, I'm focusing on the true, the good and the beautiful - often in the form of natural virtues and good things that everyone can appreciate, but won't necessarily encounter without this sort of nudge. Good things that seem to abound in books like these include concepts like: charity and kindness, hope, perseverance, beauty in nature, appreciation of the dignity of the person, cultural connectedness, historical perspective and the sense that one person really can make a difference.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Library Tree 2007 - Books (and a few DVDs) Successfully Added
41 titles purchased for our local public library - hooray! (In case you missed the earlier posts about our annual project, you can follow the "library" tag at the bottom of this post.)
A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
Michael Driscoll
A Day on Skates
Hilda Van Stockum
A Seed is Sleepy
Dianna Hutts Aston
Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People
Clara Ingram Judson
Admiral Richard Byrd: Alone in the Antarctic
Paul Rink
Alexander the Great
John Gunther
Amelia Earhart: Flying Solo
John Burke
America is…
Louise Borden
American Rough Rider: Teddy Roosevelt
John Garraty
Battleships of World War I
Peter Hore
Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot's Story
H.R. Demallie
Ben Franklin: Inventing America
Thomas Fleming
Bob Books, Set 1
Bobby Lynn Maslen
Building Big: Domes (DVD)
David Macaulay
Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story About Vincent van Gogh
Laurence Anholt
Can You Count to a Googol?
Robert E. Wells
Daniel Boone: The Opening of the Wilderness
John Mason Brown
Downright Dencey
Caroline Dale Snedeker
George Washington Carver: The Peanut Wizard
Laura Driscoll
George Washington: Frontier Colonel
Sterling North
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
Faith McNulty
Jamestown: The Perilous Adventure
Olga Hall-Quest
John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot
Armstrong Sperry
Joyeux Noel (DVD)
Katie Meets the Impressionists
James Mayhew
Laura Ingalls Wilder Country
William Anderson
Lawrence of Arabia
Alistair Maclean
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Imaculee Ilibagiza
Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes and What the Neighbors Thought
Kathleen Krull
Mary Ingalls On Her Own
Elizabeth Kimmel Willard
Orphaned on the Oregon Trail: The Stout-Hearted Seven
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
Tomie de Paola
Poetry Speaks to Children
Shakespeare: His Work and His World
Michael Rosen
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Empress and the Silkworm
Lily Toy Hong
The Mislabeled Child
Brock Eide and Fernette Eide
The True Story of Peter Rabbit
Jane Johnson
Turn Left at Orion
Guy Consolmagno
Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore
Jean L.S. Patrick
A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
Michael Driscoll
A Day on Skates
Hilda Van Stockum
A Seed is Sleepy
Dianna Hutts Aston
Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People
Clara Ingram Judson
Admiral Richard Byrd: Alone in the Antarctic
Paul Rink
Alexander the Great
John Gunther
Amelia Earhart: Flying Solo
John Burke
America is…
Louise Borden
American Rough Rider: Teddy Roosevelt
John Garraty
Battleships of World War I
Peter Hore
Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot's Story
H.R. Demallie
Ben Franklin: Inventing America
Thomas Fleming
Bob Books, Set 1
Bobby Lynn Maslen
Building Big: Domes (DVD)
David Macaulay
Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story About Vincent van Gogh
Laurence Anholt
Can You Count to a Googol?
Robert E. Wells
Daniel Boone: The Opening of the Wilderness
John Mason Brown
Downright Dencey
Caroline Dale Snedeker
George Washington Carver: The Peanut Wizard
Laura Driscoll
George Washington: Frontier Colonel
Sterling North
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
Faith McNulty
Jamestown: The Perilous Adventure
Olga Hall-Quest
John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot
Armstrong Sperry
Joyeux Noel (DVD)
Katie Meets the Impressionists
James Mayhew
Laura Ingalls Wilder Country
William Anderson
Lawrence of Arabia
Alistair Maclean
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Imaculee Ilibagiza
Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes and What the Neighbors Thought
Kathleen Krull
Mary Ingalls On Her Own
Elizabeth Kimmel Willard
Orphaned on the Oregon Trail: The Stout-Hearted Seven
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
Tomie de Paola
Poetry Speaks to Children
Shakespeare: His Work and His World
Michael Rosen
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Empress and the Silkworm
Lily Toy Hong
The Mislabeled Child
Brock Eide and Fernette Eide
The True Story of Peter Rabbit
Jane Johnson
Turn Left at Orion
Guy Consolmagno
Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore
Jean L.S. Patrick
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Current Library Tree Book List
Naturally I have not been able to read through every one of these books personally. I tend to rely on online reviews and, as I mentioned earlier, I found Maureen Wittmann's book quite helpful and chose a number of titles from there. I also did quite a bit of research at our local bookstore...
A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
Michael Driscoll
A Day on Skates
Hilda Van Stockum
A Seed is Sleepy
Dianna Hutts Aston
Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People
Clara Ingram Judson
Admiral Richard Byrd: Alone in the Antarctic
Paul Rink
Alexander the Great
John Gunther
Amelia Earhart: Flying Solo
John Burke
America is…
Louise Borden
American Rough Rider: Teddy Roosevelt
John Garraty
Arctic Explorer: the Story of Matthew Henson
Jeri Ferris
Battleships of World War I
Peter Hore
Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot's Story
H.R. Demallie
Ben Franklin: Inventing America
Thomas Fleming
Bob Books, Set 1
Bobby Lynn Maslen
Building Big: Bridges (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Dams (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Domes (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Skyscrapers (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Tunnels (DVD)
David Macaulay
Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story About Vincent van Gogh
Laurence Anholt
Can You Count to a Googol?
Robert E. Wells
Daniel Boone: The Opening of the Wilderness
John Mason Brown
Downright Dencey
Caroline Dale Snedeker
George Washington Carver: The Peanut Wizard
Laura Driscoll
George Washington: Frontier Colonel
Sterling North
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
Faith McNulty
Jamestown: The Perilous Adventure
Olga Hall-Quest
John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot
Armstrong Sperry
Joyeux Noel (DVD)
Katie Meets the Impressionists
James Mayhew
Laura Ingalls Wilder Country
William Anderson
Lawrence of Arabia
Alistair Maclean
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Imaculee Ilibagiza
Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes and What the Neighbors Thought
Kathleen Krull
Mary Ingalls On Her Own
Elizabeth Kimmel Willard
NOVA Secrets of Lost Empires: Inca (DVD)
NOVA Secrets of Lost Empires: Medieval Siege (DVD)
NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires: Colosseum, Stonehenge (DVD)
NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires: Pyramid, Obelisk (DVD)
One Grain of Rice
Demi
Orphaned on the Oregon Trail: The Stout-Hearted Seven
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
Tomie de Paola
Poetry Speaks to Children
Pope John Paul II (DVD)
Jon Voight, Cary Elwes
Shakespeare: His Work and His World
Michael Rosen
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Deadly Hunt: The Sinking of the Bismarck
William Shirer
The Empress and the Silkworm
Lily Toy Hong
The Mislabeled Child
Brock Eide and Fernette Eide
The Story of Noodles
Ying Chang Compestine
The Story of Paper
Ying Chang Compestine
The Swamp Fox of the Revolution
Stewart H. Holbrook
The True Story of Peter Rabbit
Jane Johnson
Turn Left at Orion
Guy Consolmagno
War Game: Village Green to No-Man's-Land
Michael Foreman
When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Patriots
Lynne Cheney
Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore
Jean L.S. Patrick
A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
Michael Driscoll
A Day on Skates
Hilda Van Stockum
A Seed is Sleepy
Dianna Hutts Aston
Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People
Clara Ingram Judson
Admiral Richard Byrd: Alone in the Antarctic
Paul Rink
Alexander the Great
John Gunther
Amelia Earhart: Flying Solo
John Burke
America is…
Louise Borden
American Rough Rider: Teddy Roosevelt
John Garraty
Arctic Explorer: the Story of Matthew Henson
Jeri Ferris
Battleships of World War I
Peter Hore
Behind Enemy Lines: A Young Pilot's Story
H.R. Demallie
Ben Franklin: Inventing America
Thomas Fleming
Bob Books, Set 1
Bobby Lynn Maslen
Building Big: Bridges (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Dams (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Domes (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Skyscrapers (DVD)
David Macaulay
Building Big: Tunnels (DVD)
David Macaulay
Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story About Vincent van Gogh
Laurence Anholt
Can You Count to a Googol?
Robert E. Wells
Daniel Boone: The Opening of the Wilderness
John Mason Brown
Downright Dencey
Caroline Dale Snedeker
George Washington Carver: The Peanut Wizard
Laura Driscoll
George Washington: Frontier Colonel
Sterling North
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World
Faith McNulty
Jamestown: The Perilous Adventure
Olga Hall-Quest
John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot
Armstrong Sperry
Joyeux Noel (DVD)
Katie Meets the Impressionists
James Mayhew
Laura Ingalls Wilder Country
William Anderson
Lawrence of Arabia
Alistair Maclean
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Imaculee Ilibagiza
Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes and What the Neighbors Thought
Kathleen Krull
Mary Ingalls On Her Own
Elizabeth Kimmel Willard
NOVA Secrets of Lost Empires: Inca (DVD)
NOVA Secrets of Lost Empires: Medieval Siege (DVD)
NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires: Colosseum, Stonehenge (DVD)
NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires: Pyramid, Obelisk (DVD)
One Grain of Rice
Demi
Orphaned on the Oregon Trail: The Stout-Hearted Seven
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Path to the Pacific: The Story of Sacagawea
Neta Lohnes Frazier
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
Tomie de Paola
Poetry Speaks to Children
Pope John Paul II (DVD)
Jon Voight, Cary Elwes
Shakespeare: His Work and His World
Michael Rosen
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Deadly Hunt: The Sinking of the Bismarck
William Shirer
The Empress and the Silkworm
Lily Toy Hong
The Mislabeled Child
Brock Eide and Fernette Eide
The Story of Noodles
Ying Chang Compestine
The Story of Paper
Ying Chang Compestine
The Swamp Fox of the Revolution
Stewart H. Holbrook
The True Story of Peter Rabbit
Jane Johnson
Turn Left at Orion
Guy Consolmagno
War Game: Village Green to No-Man's-Land
Michael Foreman
When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Patriots
Lynne Cheney
Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore
Jean L.S. Patrick
Library Tree Ornaments
We printed out the ornaments for our Library's Holiday Tree today. Here they are on some of our bookshelves - approximately 60 books and movies of all sorts. In the book department there ended up being an emphasis on the "Sterling Point" books. For movies, we have a lot of "Building Big" and "NOVA: Secrets of Lost Empires". I'll try to share a complete list some time soon (no doubt you can make out some of the titles from the picture).
It's funny how this is feeling like a Like-Mother-Like Daughter project. Not only has Ria been helping me out on this project, but I've seen photos of a library project my mom helped out with before I was born. I believe it was a school library and a number of the titles looked familiar. Especially interesting to consider this year as there were some "North Star" books (the previous name of what is now called the "Sterling Point" series). :)
It's funny how this is feeling like a Like-Mother-Like Daughter project. Not only has Ria been helping me out on this project, but I've seen photos of a library project my mom helped out with before I was born. I believe it was a school library and a number of the titles looked familiar. Especially interesting to consider this year as there were some "North Star" books (the previous name of what is now called the "Sterling Point" series). :)
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Almost Final List of Library Tree Additions
I'm trying to come up with a list of books that were added to our local library through our Library Tree project last year in order to keep track of things for future years. This is list is presently in progress...
Beyond the Heather Hills by Melissa Wiley
Down to the Bonny Glen by Melissa Wiley
The Far Side of the Loch by Melissa Wiley
Little House in the Highlands by Melissa Wiley
Journey into Amazing Caves (IMAX DVD)
This is America Charlie Brown
NOVA: To the Moon
Animals in Winter
Baby Whales Drink Milk
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
The Man Who Made Time Travel
D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths
The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty
Leonardo da Vinci for Kids
World War II for Kids
Backyard Ballistics
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots
William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster
Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Mistakes that Worked
Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Gilbin
The Great Art Scandal
DK Space Encyclopedia
Eats, Shoots and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference by Lynne Truss
Why Do Leaves Change Color
How Do Birds Find Their Way
The Moon Seems to Change
How Do Apples Grow
What Makes Day and Night
Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll
Who Eats What?
Merry Go Round: A Book About Nouns
Many Luscious Lollipops
The Art of Construction by Mario Salvadori
Lost City: the Discovery of Machu Picchu
Steam, Smoke and Steel: Back in Time with Trains
Marguerite Makes a Book
The Man Who Counted
Touching the Sky: The Flying Adventures of Wilbur and Orville Wright
Shakespeare for Kids
Fly High! The Story of Bessie Coleman
The Handmade Alphabet
Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: Country Facts that helped me win the National Geographic Bee
It was exciting to see how many of the books were currently checked out while searching the library database; I think almost half of them were!
Beyond the Heather Hills by Melissa Wiley
Down to the Bonny Glen by Melissa Wiley
The Far Side of the Loch by Melissa Wiley
Little House in the Highlands by Melissa Wiley
Journey into Amazing Caves (IMAX DVD)
This is America Charlie Brown
NOVA: To the Moon
Animals in Winter
Baby Whales Drink Milk
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
The Man Who Made Time Travel
D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths
The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty
Leonardo da Vinci for Kids
World War II for Kids
Backyard Ballistics
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots
William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster
Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Mistakes that Worked
Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Gilbin
The Great Art Scandal
DK Space Encyclopedia
Eats, Shoots and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference by Lynne Truss
Why Do Leaves Change Color
How Do Birds Find Their Way
The Moon Seems to Change
How Do Apples Grow
What Makes Day and Night
Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll
Who Eats What?
Merry Go Round: A Book About Nouns
Many Luscious Lollipops
The Art of Construction by Mario Salvadori
Lost City: the Discovery of Machu Picchu
Steam, Smoke and Steel: Back in Time with Trains
Marguerite Makes a Book
The Man Who Counted
Touching the Sky: The Flying Adventures of Wilbur and Orville Wright
Shakespeare for Kids
Fly High! The Story of Bessie Coleman
The Handmade Alphabet
Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: Country Facts that helped me win the National Geographic Bee
It was exciting to see how many of the books were currently checked out while searching the library database; I think almost half of them were!
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Geography Bee and Library Tree
Yesterday our homeschool group held the National Geographic Bee. The feast of the Epiphany seemed a rather appropriate day to consider places near and far away. There were seven contestants from 4th through 8th grade. They zipped through the first seven rounds and we narrowed the field to 5 contestants for the final round. It only took five or six questions before the field was narrowed down to two for the championship round. The two who went "head-to-head" were Gus and his new 8th grade friend who loves geography and will be joining The Map Guys geography blog (by the way, if you drop by soon, Gus has an "Independence Quiz" which he put together himself). Anyway, the other fellow came out on top after three questions, so Gus very graciously accepted 2nd place. I was delighted to see happy faces and good attitudes all around. The most delightful part, to me, was seeing the look of surprise on contestants' faces when they got an answer right that they didn't expect!
I took down the Library Tree on Friday. There were only five ornaments left at the end, so I think we sold about 50 books (I'll have to dig out my lists to get an exact number)! How exciting! The librarians all seem very pleased with the whole thing. By the way, I know I "technically" took it down a little early, but I had sickness, travel and too many weekend plans looming before me (and I thought it was pretty good to keep the tree up until the 5th at a public library!). We keep our own tree up for a very long time at home - through all three January birthdays at the very least and we keep our Nativity Set out even longer. So I felt just a little bit sheepish when one of the library patrons scolded me for not keeping it up until the Epiphany!
When I took down the (artificial) tree at the Library, I noticed that the base of the tree was cracked - though not yet completely broken - so I ran by Target on the way home from yesterday's Geography Bee to see if I could find a new one on after-Christmas clearance. 90% off is about as good as it gets! A nice 7 foot tree with a metal base was only $10! Hurray!
I took down the Library Tree on Friday. There were only five ornaments left at the end, so I think we sold about 50 books (I'll have to dig out my lists to get an exact number)! How exciting! The librarians all seem very pleased with the whole thing. By the way, I know I "technically" took it down a little early, but I had sickness, travel and too many weekend plans looming before me (and I thought it was pretty good to keep the tree up until the 5th at a public library!). We keep our own tree up for a very long time at home - through all three January birthdays at the very least and we keep our Nativity Set out even longer. So I felt just a little bit sheepish when one of the library patrons scolded me for not keeping it up until the Epiphany!
When I took down the (artificial) tree at the Library, I noticed that the base of the tree was cracked - though not yet completely broken - so I ran by Target on the way home from yesterday's Geography Bee to see if I could find a new one on after-Christmas clearance. 90% off is about as good as it gets! A nice 7 foot tree with a metal base was only $10! Hurray!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Now I Understand...
I tried to sit down and explain this last night, but it turned into the Library Story instead - related but not exactly explaining the point. In the Library Story, I was trying to express both how exciting the Library Tree success was to me and the value our family has found in "engaging the world" even in little ways.
But there's really a lot more to the story - especially the story of my weekend. It's been a weekend filled with incredible graces and blessings, in my view, surrounding two incredibly frustrating (and rather painful) misunderstandings... as if, perhaps, "someone down there" couldn't be content with all of the good things going on and had to stir up some trouble. I had already noticed this strange roller-coaster I've been on in the last few days (John said last night that, "The world has a neurosis" heehee), but now I have more reason to share the whole story beause of the "punch line" (it's coming, be patient).
Here's the second grace-filled story that touched my life this weekend. It meant a lot to me...
I talked to one of the office-people after Mass on Sunday about the Christmas Eve over-flow Mass in the gym that my friend and I have "adopted". This office-person was concerned about our request for 10 poinsettias because it was for "just an hour" and it seemed like a waste to put too much into it. I politely pleaded that it was a packed Mass - probably 4 or 500 people and managed to secure 4 poinsettias from the YMCA sale rather than the expensive ones from the florist. Really not too bad though the "just an hour" thing grated on me a bit. The beautiful part was, I was talking to one of our church-lady friends in the hall while we munched on donuts about the project and mentioned that I was disappointed, but glad to get at least the four poinsettias instead of the two I had expected (two seemed like such an "afterthought" - especially since the entire background is black and we need a little color). She completely appreciated my enthusiasm and concern for the project and asked if she could donate some money for two more poinsettias instead of to the official Christmas flower fund. I gratefully accepted her $10 (with tears of gratitude and joy - it just touched me so much!).
The third story I just heard about yesterday. You remember that literature class with the anti-Catholic materials that I was helping some teens refute and answer? One of the moms of those students got a call from her yesterday. This teacher said that she's been teaching homeschooled students (including some Catholics) for many years. She's never had any of them stand up for their faith before and she was very impressed with these girls' conviction, their understanding and their charitable tone. She said that, being a Protestant, a number of these things about Catholics were things she just assumed to be true (some of which she didn't even know would be "offensive" to Catholics), but would be dropping some of the readings from future classes based on the girls' answers to the questions. The girls won't be going back for future classes, but it was thrilling to discover that their responses have had such a positive impact. Definitely some good seeds planted there!
Okay, so here's the punchline. This morning I finally (and somewhat belatedly) joined Alice's Cottage of Loreto e-mail group, set-up to jointly pray novenas for different Catholic homeschool families and discovered that the novena for MY family ended on Sunday, December 3rd! Thank you so much Alice and friends!
But there's really a lot more to the story - especially the story of my weekend. It's been a weekend filled with incredible graces and blessings, in my view, surrounding two incredibly frustrating (and rather painful) misunderstandings... as if, perhaps, "someone down there" couldn't be content with all of the good things going on and had to stir up some trouble. I had already noticed this strange roller-coaster I've been on in the last few days (John said last night that, "The world has a neurosis" heehee), but now I have more reason to share the whole story beause of the "punch line" (it's coming, be patient).
Here's the second grace-filled story that touched my life this weekend. It meant a lot to me...
I talked to one of the office-people after Mass on Sunday about the Christmas Eve over-flow Mass in the gym that my friend and I have "adopted". This office-person was concerned about our request for 10 poinsettias because it was for "just an hour" and it seemed like a waste to put too much into it. I politely pleaded that it was a packed Mass - probably 4 or 500 people and managed to secure 4 poinsettias from the YMCA sale rather than the expensive ones from the florist. Really not too bad though the "just an hour" thing grated on me a bit. The beautiful part was, I was talking to one of our church-lady friends in the hall while we munched on donuts about the project and mentioned that I was disappointed, but glad to get at least the four poinsettias instead of the two I had expected (two seemed like such an "afterthought" - especially since the entire background is black and we need a little color). She completely appreciated my enthusiasm and concern for the project and asked if she could donate some money for two more poinsettias instead of to the official Christmas flower fund. I gratefully accepted her $10 (with tears of gratitude and joy - it just touched me so much!).
The third story I just heard about yesterday. You remember that literature class with the anti-Catholic materials that I was helping some teens refute and answer? One of the moms of those students got a call from her yesterday. This teacher said that she's been teaching homeschooled students (including some Catholics) for many years. She's never had any of them stand up for their faith before and she was very impressed with these girls' conviction, their understanding and their charitable tone. She said that, being a Protestant, a number of these things about Catholics were things she just assumed to be true (some of which she didn't even know would be "offensive" to Catholics), but would be dropping some of the readings from future classes based on the girls' answers to the questions. The girls won't be going back for future classes, but it was thrilling to discover that their responses have had such a positive impact. Definitely some good seeds planted there!
Okay, so here's the punchline. This morning I finally (and somewhat belatedly) joined Alice's Cottage of Loreto e-mail group, set-up to jointly pray novenas for different Catholic homeschool families and discovered that the novena for MY family ended on Sunday, December 3rd! Thank you so much Alice and friends!
Monday, December 04, 2006
A Library Story
Our first apartment, a teeny third-floor studio in an old, old building in the downtown of our beloved small town, was in sight of the library and the park. I think we saw every movie the library owned on a discarded old VCR and a computer monitor (which we still have) in those days of zero money for entertainment (as well as enjoyed many books of course!) and Ria, who was just a little tyke, made fast friends with many of the librarians. One of our very first dinners there was to the light of a fireworks display in the park - perfectly visible from the windows of our itty-bitty kitchen (that's a picture of the kitchen all decked out for our first Christmas). Those were John's school days - he got his engineering degree 2 1/2 years after we were married (after alternating semesters of work and school).He got his first "real" engineering job in San Diego and we lived near my family for about 2 1/2 years. These were wonderful years in many ways, but they don't pertain to this particular story. A better job offer and the prospect of buying a first house (which wasn't even remotely possible in San Diego at the time) brought us back to Wisconsin and we managed to buy an old fixer-upper just on the other side of that park and that library that we loved so well (this house hadn't been painted in 30 years!).
By this time Ria and Gus were 4 and 2 and I was expecting Terri. We dove right into kid-type activities in the library and Ria fell in love with story-time. We went there once or twice a week - particularly when we only had one car, but the double-stroller got us all safe and sound across the busy street to the library. Our favorite section in the children's area was the non-fiction. Ria made her way through all sorts of books, but we ate up these picture books and even little Gus had his favorite shelf of football books that he'd always wander over to and start browsing through. One day the head librarian (no longer there) decided to make more room in the children's area by intermixing all of the junior non-fiction with the adult non-fiction. It was still there, but incredibly inaccessible. We cried.We still kept visiting and enjoying the library, but I made a special effort to start collecting beautiful children's science and history and religion and other good books. This was partly why love2learn started. I didn't know any homeschoolers nearby, I didn't have a car to get around and I loved to share information about great books. We got more involved in the library over time. A few years later the kids and I started helping with the set-up of the library book sale. I was astonished at how well they handled this project. (They weren't always this well-behaved!) We set up in the children's area and they helped me line up books, or at least sat down nearby to look at interesting ones or cooed from the stroller. In the midst of this, we discovered that the Friends of the Library was about to fold because the only person willing to be president didn't think she could manage to do the work on a computer necessary to pull together a newsletter. Well I could do THAT. That was easy!
I helped put together the simple little newsletter - just two or three pages printed out - for two presidents over the next three or four years (and made some great friends in the meantime). The president came to our house during our school day just two or three times a year, very nicely dealt with our chaos and the Friends Board survived. It was such a little thing, so easy for us, but one of those connections that can become very meaningful over time.
The next president didn't need a newsletter editor and we were moving (and busy with getting the house ready to sell) to the outskirts of town anyway, so our trips to the library become more infrequent. The librarians still knew all of us, though, and at the library book sale last year, the Friends board was again in need. These guys do important work (like fund the summer reading program), but they only meet for an hour or two, two or three times a year and they needed a secretary. Easy!
So I came on board as their secretary and dutifully attended the meetings. They were actually rather pleasant and I had some nice little opportunities to mention some worthwhile books, put my two cents in here or there, etc. I even had an opportunity to mention the interest in non-fiction books (especially since I've noticed that some children - especially boys? - are more drawn to non-fiction than fiction). When the need came up about the library tree, it immediately sounded like a good project for our family. They'd like to have it put up during the day and our schedule was flexible. The president wasn't available - she's a public school teacher and it's a busy time of year.
Last year we found some nice unbreakable ornaments and put together the book ornaments as well - everyone loved the book cover pictures on the ornaments! What was really exciting was to develop a repoire with the library staff and board - especially as a homeschooler. Every homeschooler is a "representative" of homeschooling - like it or not, and I tend to feel a particular obligation since I'm also a homeschool grad. This has been a good thing! There is definitely a need out there to "engage the world" and I've been surprised at how many people are open to these ideas, our enthusiasm for learning, and our desire to serve our children's needs to the best of our ability.
I guess you know the rest of the story with the library tree. Not only are we getting some great non-fiction picture books into the library, but the patrons are proving that they ARE interested in these books also, and not just the popular fiction and movies that the library tends to emphasize. To me that's a very happy ending (so far) to the story and, though the library tree is quite a bit of work (unlike the other library tasks I've been involved in), I couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Library Tree
Here's a real picture of the Library Tree. I brought all the kids in to see it earlier today and take pictures. The librarians got a pretty big kick out of our invasion.
Not much time for "real" blogging just now, though I've had some wonderful books to keep me company lately. I got stuck for several hours this afternoon with Mike Aquilina's Fathers of the Church (Our Sunday Visitor) at the brake shop. Poor me. :)
I'm also plugging through Josef Pieper's Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power. I love returning to Plato again after so many years (we studied a number of his dialogues Freshman year at TAC). This makes me think it would be worth tackling one or two with our co-op teens some day.
Not much time for "real" blogging just now, though I've had some wonderful books to keep me company lately. I got stuck for several hours this afternoon with Mike Aquilina's Fathers of the Church (Our Sunday Visitor) at the brake shop. Poor me. :)
I'm also plugging through Josef Pieper's Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power. I love returning to Plato again after so many years (we studied a number of his dialogues Freshman year at TAC). This makes me think it would be worth tackling one or two with our co-op teens some day.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Library Project
We finished the library tree tonight and I think it looks beautiful. Unfortunately, the only picture I have so far (my digital camera has been a bit unreliable lately) is from this first stage of creating the ornaments (Gus and Bernie are pointing out some favorite titles). I used the photo setting on our computer to make these come out so clearly.
I hope to get a picture of the tree up later.
I hope to get a picture of the tree up later.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Book List for the Library Tree
Kind of a "short order" list, but I'm pretty happy with it (we need to get the tree up before Thanksgiving):
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Esbensen
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber
What's In a Shell? by Kathleen Zoehfeld
Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro
How Do Birds Find Their Way? by Roma Gans
The Moon Seems to Change by Frankly Branley
How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
What Makes Day and Night? by Franklyn Branley
Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll by Franklyn Branley
Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
The Man Who Made Time Travel by Kathryn Lasky
The Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht
William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster
Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons
Journey into Amazing Caves (IMAX DVD)
This is America Charlie Brown (DVD)
NOVA: To the Moon (DVD)
Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey
D'Aulaire's Greek Myths
Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Jones
Leonardo da Vinci for Kids by Janis Herbert
World War II for Kids by Richard Panchyk
Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy
Merry Go Round: A Book About Nouns by Ruth Heller
Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives by Ruth Heller
Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain by Deborah Ray
Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu by Ted Levin
The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Giblin
The Great Art Scandal: Solve the Crime, Save the Show! by Anna Nilsen
DK Space Encyclopedia by Nigel Henbest
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! by Lynne Truss
Montessori Play And Learn: A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six
The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects by Mario Salvadori
Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft
Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Esbensen
Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber
What's In a Shell? by Kathleen Zoehfeld
Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro
How Do Birds Find Their Way? by Roma Gans
The Moon Seems to Change by Frankly Branley
How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro
What Makes Day and Night? by Franklyn Branley
Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll by Franklyn Branley
Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
The Man Who Made Time Travel by Kathryn Lasky
The Snowflake by Kenneth Libbrecht
William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki
The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster
Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons
Journey into Amazing Caves (IMAX DVD)
This is America Charlie Brown (DVD)
NOVA: To the Moon (DVD)
Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey
D'Aulaire's Greek Myths
Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Jones
Leonardo da Vinci for Kids by Janis Herbert
World War II for Kids by Richard Panchyk
Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy
Merry Go Round: A Book About Nouns by Ruth Heller
Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives by Ruth Heller
Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain by Deborah Ray
Lost City: The Discovery of Machu Picchu by Ted Levin
The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Giblin
The Great Art Scandal: Solve the Crime, Save the Show! by Anna Nilsen
DK Space Encyclopedia by Nigel Henbest
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! by Lynne Truss
Montessori Play And Learn: A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six
The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects by Mario Salvadori
Guess What?
I get to pick the books (and some DVDs) for our public Library's "Holiday Tree" (where people pick a book "ornament" to buy for the library in someone's name, as a gift). Last year was the first year we put together the tree (as a family project), but getting to pick the books was a big surprise! :) The theme is junior non-fiction (yippee!) and the head librarian liked all my choices so far. What fun!!!
I've been the secretary for our Library Friends board for awhile and that's how the project came up.
Here are a few of the titles slated for the project:
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
This is America Charlie Brown (DVDs - thanks Lissa!)
A bunch of the "Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science" Series
I still have to come up with some others, make sure the library doesn't already have them and make sure they're still in print.
I've been the secretary for our Library Friends board for awhile and that's how the project came up.
Here are a few of the titles slated for the project:
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker
This is America Charlie Brown (DVDs - thanks Lissa!)
A bunch of the "Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science" Series
I still have to come up with some others, make sure the library doesn't already have them and make sure they're still in print.
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