And the winners of our third 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 "Reading... Any time... Any place!".  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!

Calendar Mysteries by Ron Roy!

You have heard of the A of Z Mysteries.  But have you heard of the Calendar Mysteries?



Calendar Mysteries is a new series of books by author Ron Roy. The main characters are Lucy, brothers Brian and Bradley, and Nate who are all about mysteries, jokes and clues – every month of the year!

You can explore the books in the new series at http://www.ronroy.com/books_calendar.html

You can visit the author's website at http://www.ronroy.com/

Would you like to learn if Ron Roy has children? Pets?  Are you curious about his hobbies? Favourite food?  Favourite TV show?  Click here for his answers to frequently asked questions http://www.ronroy.com/faqs.html

How did Ron Roy get started with writing mysteries?  Watch this video to find out!

"Reading... Any time! Any place!" Photo Contest

As a way to celebrate the arts and reading, we are having our third annual photo contest. 

The theme this year is "Reading... Any time!  

Any place!" and it is super easy to enter:

1. Think outside of the box for a unique place to read.

2. Have someone take your picture.    

3. Print one colour copy that is at least 15 by 20 cm.

4. Write your name and class on the back of the photo.

5. Hand it in to the library by Friday, December 9 (just in time for Winter Arts Day)

The judges will look at composition and creativity.  

Winners will be announced the following week.

Happy Reading!

Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds

The third picture book being considered for the Morning Calm Medal this year is

Aaron Reynold's Nerdy Birdy!

"Nerdy Birdy likes reading, video games, and reading about video games, which immediately disqualifies him for membership in the cool crowd.  One thing is clear: being a nerdy birdy is a lonely lifestyle.

When he's at his lowest point, Nerdy Birdy meets a flock just like him. He has friends and discovers that there are far more nerdy birdies than cool birdies in the sky.  

Everything is looking up until a bird moves into the neighbourhood.  She looks lonely but not exactly nerdy.  What is a nerdy bird to do?"  - Good Reads Review

To learn more about the author Aaron Reynolds, you can visit his website at http://www.aaron-reynolds.com/

Thank you, Ms Karen Golden!

All of elementary was treated to wonderful stories last Thursday by our visiting storyteller Karen Golden. ( http://www.karengolden.com/)

PK and Kindergarten enjoyed the first performance. 

The orchestra song and The Little Red Hen were definite favourites.

The second performance saw Grade 4 and 5 really tuning into all of the musical instruments Ms. Golden incorporated into her storytelling.  Grade 4 was especially keen to learn more about the Native American rain maker.

Grade 1 and 2 were excited to meet Ms. Golden and hear her stories.  The Magic Hat story made a big impression. 

The final performance of the day saw Grade 3 enjoying not only The Big Fish and Salt Peanuts but also The Big Pumpkin, The Magic Pot and The Runaway Red Bean Bun.

Thank you, Ms. Golden, for opening our eyes, 
ears and hearts to the magic of stories!

We loved all of your musical instruments...

especially the nose flute!

Thank you also for the gift of the golden story box. 

We promise to never stop sharing stories.

P.S.  We also will never forget your golden shoes!!!

Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell

We are excited to have Tales from a Not-So-Perfect Pet Sitter available now in our library.

"Nikki and her friends Brandon, Chloe, and Zoey are teamed up on an important mission in the tenth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series.

Nikki has to hide seven ADORKABLE puppies from two parents, one nosy little sister, an entire middle school, and…one mean girl out for revenge, Mackenzie Hollister. If anyone can do it, it’s Nikki…but not without some hilarious challenges along the way!"

 - Good Reads review

Check out the Dork Diaries' website for a whole lot of fun... http://dorkdiaries.com/

Learn more about Ms Russell at http://dorkdiaries.com/meet-the-author/

 

To watch an interview with the author, click here http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rachel-renee-russell-and-daughters-erin-nikki-on-dork-diaries-best-selling-series/

Tom Gates by Liz Pichon

You have read Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

Now it is time to meet Tom Gates.

He is a master of excuses, an expert doodler, a comic story writer extraordinaire, and the bane of his teacher's existence!

Visit the series' official website at http://www8.scholastic.co.uk/tomgatesworld/

You can visit author and illustrator Liz Pichon's website at http://lizpichon.com/

Click here to learn how to doodle like Tom Gates 

Are you ready for a story!?!

We are excited to welcome storyteller and musician Karen Golden from the United States on Thursday, November 17!

Storytelling is the sharing of tales with one or more listeners through voice and gesture. This is the oldest form of education and it has numerous benefits including: 

• improved imagination
• improved listening skills
• increased love of language, reading and creative writing
• improved vocabulary, comprehension, sequencing ability, and recall/memory

You can learn more about Karen Golden by visiting her website at http://www.karengolden.com/

For more photos, you can go to http://www.karengolden.com/press-photos.html

In order to prepare for our American storyteller visit, we watched a short sample of her stories...

We also listened to professional British storytellers share traditional tales at (http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/storyteller-videos).

Would you like to enjoy more stories? Check out the Story Bee website to listen to professional storytellers from across America spin their tales. (www.storybee.org)

Winnie: the true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

A.A. Milne wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories but from where did he get the original idea? 

 

The second picture book being considered for the Morning Calm Medal this year is
Sally Walker's Winnie: the True Story of the Bear who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh!

"Who could care for a bear? When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear for sale at the train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company’s home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment’s much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away — the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin came along and played with Winnie — he could care for this bear too!"   - Good Reads Review

Click here to visit author Sally Walker's website.

"Parents often ask what they can give a child who wants to be a writer.   The first thing is a library card.  Paper and pens are another.  But time is the most valuable gift that anyone can give to a budding writer.  Time to wander, time to learn, time to read, and above all, time to dream."

To learn more about the history of Winnie the Pooh, you can go to this website or watch the following short videos.

                                      

Just for fun, here is a Winnie-the-Pooh story for you...