What are you reading?

No Ordinary Day by Deborah Ellis is a story of an orphan living on the streets of Kolkata, the capital of an Indian state of West Bengali.

Through the foundling's eyes, the reader learns about the flow of everyday life of the poor and homeless people of India and that the society treats them in contrasting ways.

The library holds both a print and a digital copy.

While reading, consider:

Who is Valli's hero?
In which way do we affect the lives of others?
How can we contribute to the well-being of the people in need?

Summer reading

Enjoy your summer reading

When you read or listen to the books and stories this summer, either in print or online, substantial or short, keep track of the titles you discover. In summer, we have more time for inventive ideas, and you may like to take a picture of the book cover and put it in your blogger, take a photograph of you reading a book, or even create a photo story or do something else to display your reading.

The list of the titles that you will have created will be handy when we make tails for the library reading kites in August.

As you know, returning students with cleared accounts have the privilege to check out a double amount of library materials. 

Also, please check some digital reading resources. 

BookFlix: Fiction and non-fiction pairs

BookFlix is an online literacy resource for grades PreK-3 that pairs classic video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic. It helps early readers develop and practice essential reading skills and introduces students to a world of knowledge and exploration.

Students can access Scholastic BookFlix anywhere there is an Internet connection – in classroom, the computer lab, the library, even at home!  

The collection includes:

• 110 fiction and nonfiction paired books, each featuring an animated fictional video storybook and an online nonfiction book
• Spanish language versions of 32 pairs
• Read-Along options for both fiction and nonfiction books
• Interactive educational games to assess vocabulary and reading comprehension
• Definitions and narrated text supports throughout the program
• Author biographies and selected interviews
• Safe, age-appropriate Web links so students can extend their learning on a topic Educator resources, including comprehensive lesson plans for each fiction-nonfiction pair

Scholastic BookFlix is perfect for group reading activities, as well as independent reading practice at school and at home!  

Stop by the library or email me to learn how to navigate BookFlix and find books by themes, genres, grade levels, Lexile and GRL.

Happy reading!

What are you reading?

In What's in a Name by Ellen Wittlinger, you hear voices of teens exploring his or her identities. If not the campaign to change the name of their home town from Scrub Harbor to Folly Bay - the theme of the book, the novel would fall under the category of short stories.  Teens tell stories about their feelings and searches for meaning through popularity, relationships, family, friends, school, and the future.

Reveal Your Summer Reading

Summer Reading Chain is growing every day. It's already a half way through the library inner glass wall.  The chain demonstrates how much reading was done this summer by everyone from the WBAIS community.

We encourage every student, parent, and staff member to contribute to the activity by writing a title of each book they read this summer on a strip of colored paper and staple it to the Summer Reading Chain in the library.

Library kicks off the new school year: Sharing Summer Reads

What can be better than sharing book discoveries with friends and colleagues? In the week before students came to school, teachers got together to discuss books they were fascinated with over this summer. Everyone feels that conversations like this unlock the enjoyment of reading and contribute to professional growth. Can't wait to meet again!

Interview with John Coy

John Coy 

is vividly talking to WBAIS students about an arduous journey of writing. He inspires them to persevere inevitable rejections every author receives from the publisher and steadily continue to revise their writing in order to succeed.

It was a privilege to ask John five questions about reading and his books. Here are his thoughts:

1       Could you tell us a little bit about two teams, Shirts and Skins?

The members of Shirts are glad they get to be Shirts. Members of Skins are embarrassed to take off their shirts. But once they start, Skins enjoy playing without their shirts on. They feel more free as they run up and down. They feel like they can run forever.

2    What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Oh, there are so many. Creating something that begins with a thought is exciting. Going through drafts and making the story better and better is satisfying. And being invited to visit great schools like AIS is so much fun.

3  What’s the hardest thing about being an author?

Waiting to hear back from an editor on whether a story will be accepted can be nervous making. And even after many Nos, hearing No can still be difficult.

4   If you could spend one day inside the world of any book which book would you pick?

I would love to take that trip in Night Driving.

5   What advice do you have for the young writers in my classroom? 

        Read. Read. Read.

John Coy pays a visit to WBAIS

A Week of March 23-27 2015

with John Coy 

  

Having your book published is a long process

WBAIS community is privileged to host the  author of Night Driving, Hoop Genius, Strong to the Hoop,  Two Old Potatoes and Me, Love of the Game, Eyes of the Goal, and others eight.

John Coy vividly talks about an arduous journey of writing to inspire students to succeed in their pursuits.

Here is the interview about reading that the author has shared with us:

1       Could you tell us a little bit about two teams, Shirts and Skins?

The members of Shirts are glad they get to be Shirts. Members of Skins are embarrassed to take off their shirts. But once they start, Skins enjoy playing without their shirts on. They feel more free as they run up and down. They feel like they can run forever.

2    What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Oh, there are so many. Creating something that begins with a thought is exciting. Going through drafts and making the story better and better is satisfying. And being invited to visit great schools like AIS is so much fun.

3  What’s the hardest thing about being an author?

Waiting to hear back from an editor on whether a story will be accepted can be nervous making. And even after many Nos, hearing No can still be difficult.

4   If you could spend one day inside the world of any book which book would you pick?

I would love to take that trip in Night Driving.

5   What advice do you have for the young writers in my classroom? 

        Read. Read. Read.

Writing with John Coy

This week,  a writer John Coy is paying WBAIS a visit.

His workshops inspire Middle and High School students and teachers to write short stories and express their opinions.

Don't start with Introduction and hooks.

Once started, don't stop writing.

Don't think about writing reports. Instead, provide details and add dialogs.

The word 'revise' means to go back and look again. Revise, revise and revise again. Authors re-examine their texts without limits.

Perseverance and  patience are best author's friends.

Authors are used to be rejected. Don't give up, keep revising and improving your text.

Publishers don't provide detailed feedback as Language Arts teachers do. Authors follow their knowledge and intuition to address their imperfect writing. 

Informational Text as a teaching tool.

In the dynamic world we live in, content and technology exponentially grow and become more and more complex. To prepare our students to effectively function in the world and be efficient global citizens, educators re-evaluate their teaching instructions and come up with new educational strategies. 

Daily reading of current events and informational texts develop not only student language skills but prepare them to be informed, think critically, solve real world problems, and be able to communicate their ideas to others. In other words, students are learning to become active members of society.

Resources:

There are a great number of web sites where informational texts can be found. Some of them are pinned on a Pinterest Nonfiction Reading board. 

Check a Pinterest collection of News Sites 
and News Sites in Spanish.

Interview with Mr. Ron Waldman.

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- I am a sporadic reader.

2. What is your favorite genre?
- I enjoy historic fiction with elements of nonfiction as well. I also enjoy reading books about child development and learning.

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
- Setting aside enough time in my busy day is a big challenge. But once I find an intriguing book, it becomes a challenge to put it down. I also find it hard to stay awake if I read at night.

4. If you could live in one of the books, what book would it be?
- Right now I'm reading Uris's Exodus. I would love to have experienced the creation of the State of Israel, to live the passion and commitment of the early settlers; to experience Israel in the first half of the 20th century. I try to shine the sacrifice and hardship these people endured.

5. What can you recommend to our readers?
- Read, read, read! Make the time in your life to do this so it becomes a life habit. As a young reader, be voracious! Read to your grandparent. Keep a journal of books you've read so you can follow your own development as a reader.

Interview with Mr. Christopher Panna

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- An omnivore. Articles from The Economist to The Onion, Oatmeal comics, Shakespeare, text messages from my brother... I love the written word in all its forms.

2. What is your favorite genre?
- Poetry. There's nothing like good rhyme and meter. Emily Dickinson makes me swoon.

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
- I spend so much time working for my classes, the soccer team, the Genius Bar, etc. that I don't always find time to read. So I love going on vacation and bringing a book.

4. If you could live in one of the books, what book would it be?
- Aesop's Fables, where everyone gets what they deserve and at the end of the story we're all a bit wiser.

5. What would you recommend to our readers?
- World War Z. It's nothing like the silly movie. The history and culture of each country is so well considered, you read the book and think: "This really IS how the zombie apocalypse would happen."

Interview with Ms. Shira Daryn

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- I love reading. There are so many interesting things in the world, and reading is a great way to learn about them. Good books make me think about things differently, take me to new places, make me happy and sad, and stay with me forever.

2. What is your favorite genre?
-So many to choose from... I like historical fiction, detective stories, and non-fiction books that make me think!

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
-Finding enough time to read.

4. If you could live in one of the books, what book would it be?
-As a child I dreamed of living on Prince Edward Island like Anne of Green Gables. I loved Anne's spirit and the fact that she was smart and determined. I imagined Prince Edward Island as a beautiful, green place, with wide open spaces, and it seemed like a most perfect place to be.

5. What can you recommend to our readers?
-To get into reading. Ask for recommendations from the librarians and just lose yourself in a good book. Try out different genres and writers and give books a fair chance. You won't always be hooked by the end of the first page, but don't give up too soon. Nothing beats the feeling of not being able to put a book down!

Interview with Mr. Paul Van Rijn

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
-I am an avid reader. As a child, I read my way through our local library, but in High School when reading certain books became mandatory, I lost the joy of reading. It took me a number of years after that to get back into it. Nowadays, I read one or two books each month, more when I am off from school. I love the book exchange in the teachers' lounge.

2. What is your favorite genre?
-My favorite genre is science fiction with a fantasy twist. My preference is series of books like Dune, Lord of the Rings, or The Wheel of Time. It is interesting to see how an author can develop a completely new universe where the common traits of humanity still apply. In general, though, as long as the back cover seems interesting, I will read the book.

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
-The hardest thing for me to do as a reader is put down a good book. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a good book and realizing that you have to go to sleep in order to function the next day. However, there is something to be said for taking your time to savor a good book.

4. If you could live in one of the books, which book would it be?
-I would like to live in "We're going on a bear hunt". Who wouldn't?

5. What can you recommend to our readers?
-I can recommend "Undaunted courage" by Stephen Ambrose

Interview with Ms. Susie Trifman

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- I started reading when I was four years old and haven't stopped reading since then. As a child, I often read in the bathroom (!) or under my covers with a flashlight in bed. Nowadays, most of my pleasure reading takes place on weekend mornings in bed, or later in the day outdoors.
I usually read one fiction and one non-fiction book simultaneously. I seldom read two fiction books at once because am the type of reader who gets caught up in a book and can't think about anything else until I'm finished with it.
I read books in both paper form and on my Kindle. I also enjoy reading out loud to my students and get incredible pleasure from listening to them read to me.

2. What is your favorite genre?
- Realistic fiction


3. What is the  hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
- Find time to read for pleasure

4. If you could like in a book what book would it be?
- Harry Potter series

5. What can you recommend to our readers?
- Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Interview with Ms. Sharna Marcus

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- I  read ravenously. If I go too long without reading a book, I feel a pit of emptiness inside. I remember the plots and characters of almost every book I've ever read. They are like old friends and sometimes when I think about them, I smile or frown depending on the role that they play in the novel.

2. What is your favorite genre?
- Literary Fiction and Historical Fiction


3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
- It's very hard for me to put down a book once I've started it.

4. If you could live in one of the books, what book would it be?
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!



5. What can you recommend to our readers?
- This summer I read a novel called The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I loved it. I'm always happy to make recommendations!

Interview with Ms. Kate Belshe.

Interview with Ms. Kate Belshe.

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- When I have time to read, I very much enjoy it. I like reading books that are "page-turners", and I like to get lost in the world of a book. I am a slow reader, and I find dense reading difficult, even when I am interested in the material.

2. What is your favorite genre?
- Mysteries are my favorite!

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
- The hardest thing for me to do as a reader is to persevere with something that I don't find immediately interesting. Even if it is interesting, if it is dense it can be hard for me to get through.

4. If you could like in one of the books, what book it would be?
- The River Why, by James David Duncan.


5.  What can you recommend to our readers?
- Find something you love to read, and get lost in it!

Interview with Mrs. Abby Chill

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
- I like to read to study material, look for connections between today's news and the past and read a good novel when on vacation or on a flight.

2. What is your favorite genre?
- non fiction

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
- finish a book when b usy with the day to day stuff

4. If you could live in one of the books what book would it be?
- The Red Tent

5. What can you recommend to our readers?

- Team of Rivals (on Lincoln), Sword of Constantine (by Carroll )

Interview with Ms. Orit Hai

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
-I am a light reader. If I feel engaged I continue reading. If not, I do not bother even if it is highly recommended. When i finish reading a book i am looking for the next one. alas, it does not happen immediately:)

2. What is your favorite genre?
-Philosophical/life observations/ironic

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
-To focus and read endlessly

4. If you could live in one of the books, what book would it be?
-Alice in Wonderland

5. What would you recommend to our readers?
-Read, read and read. Use your judgment if you like a book or not!

Interview with Ms. Eileen Goldstein.

Interview with Ms. Eileen Goldstein

1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?
-I would like to say I'm an avid reader but there just isn't enough time to read as much as I would like. I do love to read and since I've been using Kindle, I believe I read much more.

2. What is your favorite genre?
-Hard to classify. I seem to lean towards books on the Holocaust and Israel but also love a good mystery and then maybe a love story. I also like autobiographies.

3. What is the hardest thing for you to do as a reader?
-When I want to read in the evening, I'm usually too tired.

4. If you could read in one of the books, what book would it be?
-Well it certainly wouldn't be one of the Holocaust books. Fifty Shades of Gray would shock you (just kidding - never!). Too hard to figure this one out.

5. What can you recommend to our readers?
-Many Lives, Many Masters, by Brian Weiss, also the Ken Follett triology