Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka

Do you like science?  Have you read Frank Einstein yet?

"Frank Einstein loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and definitely unusual. After an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm and flash of electricity bring Frank’s inventions—the robots Klink and Klank—to life! Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his Antimatter Motor . . . until Frank’s archnemesis, T. Edison, steals Klink and Klank for his evil doomsday plan!"

- Good Reads Review

Visit the website and meet the creators of this new series at http://frankeinsteinbooks.com/meet-the-creators/

Create your own robot, conduct some fun science experiments, and try word searches and puzzles at http://frankeinsteinbooks.com/fun-stuff/

                     

The Genius Files : Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman

Take a wild ride across America!

"The most exciting road trip in history begins! In this action-packed, New York Times bestselling adventure, twelve-year-old twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald embark on a family vacation you'll have to read to believe.

With the real-kid humor that has earned Dan Gutman millions of fans around the world, and featuring weird-but-true American tourist destinations, The Genius Files is a one-of-a-kind mix of geography and fun. As Coke and Pepsi dodge nefarious villains from the Pez museum in California all the way to the Infinity Room in Wisconsin, black-and-white photographs and maps put readers right into the action."  - (Amazon review)

       

You can visit Dan Gutman's official website by clicking here.

Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

Do you like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series?  

It's time to meet Big Nate then!

"For fans of the hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid series: Get ready to meet Big Nate! In the first novel in the New York Times bestselling series, Big Nate is in a class by himself!

Nate knows he’s meant for big things. REALLY big things. But things don’t always go your way just because you’re awesome. Nate barely survives his dad’s toxic oatmeal before rushing off to school—minus his lunch. He body slams the no-nonsense principal. He accidentally insults his least favorite teacher, the horrifying Mrs. Godfrey (aka Godzilla). And school has barely started!

Trouble always seems to find him, but Nate keeps his cool. He knows he’s destined for greatness. A fortune cookie told him so.

Here comes BIG NATE, accidental mischief maker and definitely NOT the teacher’s pet."

 - (Amazon review)

Click here to visit the official Big Nate website for more reading fun!

Do you want to try and draw Big Nate yourself?  Watch this short video to learn how.

George Brown, Class Clown by Nancy Krulik

Snot, burps, wedgies, and stinky skunks... 

How much fun do these books sound?

"The first day at a new school is always the hardest, right? No, not always as George finds out the hard way. On the second day at…Sugarman Elementary School, he is suddenly seized by uncontrollable burps, burps so loud they practically break the sound barrier, burps that make him do wild and crazy stuff and land him in trouble with a capital T. One thing is for sure: these are not normal burps, they are magic burps—and they must be stopped! 

But how?"  - (Amazon review)

Click here to visit the official website for more George Brown adventures.

Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo

This past fall, we were excited to offer to our students Mercy Watson, a great beginner chapter book series by award-winning author Kate DiCamillo!

  

   

 

"To Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig — she’s a porcine wonder. And to the good-natured Mercy, the Watsons are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons’ bed. BOOM! CRACK!"
- Amazon Review

Go to www.mercywatson.com for information about the books and the author.
For games and a bonus treat, you can click here.

Read them all today!

    

And the winners of our second annual photo contest are...

Friday was the closing date for photo contest submissions.  We loved seeing the entries come in and want to say a big thank you to our parents for their support.  The theme of our contest this year was "Read with a Friend!".  Photos were judged on creativity and composition.

Congratulations to all of our winners!  The photos have been put on display outside of the ES Library. Please stop by and enjoy these wonderful pictures.  Well done, everyone!

The Caldecott Medal 2015

Since 1937, every year in the United States, the Caldecott Medal is awarded to the artist of the "most distinguished American picture book for children".  This award was named in honor of Randolf Caldecott, a nineteenth century English illustrator.

The 2015 winner is The Adventures of Beekle the Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat.

"This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art, creating an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in the world." - review on Good Reads

The Caldecott Honor books for 2015 are...

  

  

This week in library, the Grade 1 and 2 classes enjoyed It Could Always Be Worse  by Margaret Zemach.  It is a Caldecott Honor book from 1978.  We highly recommend it as a brilliant reminder that "attitude is the mind's paintbrush. It can colour every situation!"  Everyone benefits when we choose to be grateful rather than to complain.

We encourage all of our students to check out a Caldecott Medal winner the next time they are in the library.  Nothing beats curling up with a wonderful picture book!

For more information about this award, you can go to the ALA website, the Children's Books Guide, and Good Reads.