School Summer Reading Program

I think I was a Librarian in another life.

A strange calm comes over me whenever I'm in a book store or library and I become giddy when I buy a new book.  The feeling I can't seem to control is my urgency to finish a book so that I can move on the next one.  So many books!  So little time!

I need to find a job where I read for a living.  Oh wait...I already have that job.  What I meant was, I need to find a paying job that lets me read.  That's a dream job right there!

Several months ago, I discovered that the Summer Learning Chair in my PTA was vacant. I know first hand how important it is to keep the kids engaged over the summer.  The Summer Slide is a real problem and I could see it being an even bigger problem in our extremely rigorous school.  The kids work so hard all school year, it'd be a shame for them to lose ground over the summer.

I formed a committee of other Kindergarten Moms that are as passionate about our school as I am.  We planned a number of things...the sale of Summer Bridge Books, Summer Field Trips and my favorite part; a Summer Reading Program!

We picked a theme: Books Are a Hidden Treasure.  This theme for our first Summer Reading Program was special to me because our principal calls our kids treasures, so it seemed appropriate.  I had posters made and I was so excited when I found a pirate cut out that looks remarkably like our principal!  The kids loved having their pictures taken with Pirate Curtis.

Students were asked to sign up for the reading program by filling out a slip and returning it to the office.  When they did this they would receive a packet that contains a reading log, a suggested reading list compiled by their teacher, the PTA and the librarian, a pencil, bookmark, gold coin and a sticker.  All of the goodies and bags were purchased at Oriental Trading Co.

Students are asked to track their daily minutes of reading on their log (K-3rd grade can count minutes of being read to by an adult).  They can also log their weekly minutes on the PTA website and having a friendly competition with their classmates!  Students that turn in their completed log sheets during the first week of school will be invited to an ice cream party during school and will be eligible for a drawing to win a Kindle.  Top readers in each grade will win Barnes and Noble gift cards.

I was so excited when 245 students signed up for our reading program!  I loved delivering the pirate bags and hearing the kids so happy about what was in their goodie bag.  I hope it encourages them to read all summer and turn in their logs.

I think I'll dress up like a pirate for the ice cream party!

Does your school have a Summer Reading Program?

On Hold: Children's Summer Reading List

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Yesterday was our first day of Summer Vacation!

No more pencils no more booksNo more teacher's dirty looksOut for summerOut till fallWe might not come back at allSchool's out foreverSchool's out for summerSchool's out with feverSchool's out completely

My son's teacher made a slide show that we watched in the classroom for Kindergarten Graduation and she used the Alice Cooper song in it.  You've got to love a teacher that does that!  It was also funny to see how many of us 'older parents' knew all of the words and sang along! 

My kids and I spent our first day of break at the book store picking out a few books.  My son is obsessed with Annie and Jack so we got two more of those and I found a cool book that I we'll read during storytime (4pm each day).  

What?  You don't have story time at your house?  Why not?

Here are a few books that we're checking out from the library this summer!



The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (Released June 27, 2013)

The Dark by Lemony Snicket

Again! by Emily Gravett

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (for story time)

What do you have Oh Hold at the library this summer?

Connie's Summer Reading List 2013

The kids are out of school in less than two weeks and that means....Mommy gets a break!  I love summer.  We don't plan a ton of stuff, instead we take it easy and do fun things around the house and swim a lot.

My favorite thing to do in the summer is read.  The patio is my favorite spot, with an icy cold beverage and a book.  This year, I won't have quite as much time, because I'll be planning for the next school year and we're going on an 11 day vacation to California.

There are 11 weeks of summer vacation!  I'm picking 8 books to read....I'm confident that I can accomplish this, and it will encourage my kids to read too.

I created the Summer Reading Program at my kids' school this year so I'd really like them to make me look good and read as much as they can.

What are you reading this summer?

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

 

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table by Shauna Niequist

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog by Jen Lancaster

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

April Book Club: The Kitchen House

I've made this announcement on facebook and twitter but if you missed it......

Congratulations to Christina and Jen for winning a copy of The Kitchen House!

Thank you to everyone that entered and tweeted our giveaway.  I have good news for you.

The Kitchen House is available on Kindle right now for $5.83!  Please consider purchasing the book and joining the book club this month.

You can find it here.




 We will begin discussing the book on May 1st!  Don't forget to join our facebook group.

April Book Club Selection

Hey Y'all!

I've been to Texas recently and now I'm craving Bar Bee Q and talking with a drawl. My kids got stick horses and cowboy hats and they are calling everyone partner!

Thank you to everyone that voted for our next book club selection!  The book that had the most books was....The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.

I will be giving away TWO copies of this book so please leave a message telling me what you did for Spring Break this year. Contest ends on Friday, April 5th.  Entry today!



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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

“Dear God," she prayed, "let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry...have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere - be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.” 
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn


Books like this are why I love historical fiction. I love the story telling of a time so long ago, the hardships and fears that made our ancestors so strong and resilient. 

Francie broke my heart and made me yearn for something more for her. I wanted so desperately for her to get a break. No matter what came her way, she found a way to make her circumstances better. I love that her most prized possession was her education and the lengths she went to to make it successful. She excelled at everything she tried and put all of her heart into it. 

Now that the book is over, I miss her and wonder what she's doing. Is there a sequel to this book? I wish there was.....



“From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.” 
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Must Read List

So many books.....so little time!

My must read book list continues to grow and picking one for the book club is becoming harder and harder for me and Mimi.

Which means we need YOUR help picking our next book.  We need YOU to give us recommendations.  What books are on your must read list?  Is there a classic that you haven't tackled yet?  A new best seller that everyone is reading?  Tell us!

We'll pick a couple from the comments and we'll each pick one from our list and then we need YOU to vote for our next book.

Let's hear it?  What are you excited to read?