The Totally Gross History of Ancient Egypt by Tracey Baptiste

(Image from: Amazon.com)

I love learning about ancient Egypt. The Totally Gross History of Ancient Egypt is a fun and easy read that taught me some new things:

1.  Did you know that bread used to wear down the teeth of ancient Egyptians because grinding wheat on stone meant bits of sand and stone got into the bread?

2.  Did you know if you had a tapeworm you could drink strained pomegranate root to paralyze the worm and pass it out in your poo?

We have a whole series of Totally Gross History books about many different ancient civilizations. Check them out and gross yourself out!

Find The Totally Gross History of Ancient Egypt in our library at: 932 BAP.

By Your Side by Kasie West

(Image from Amazon.com)

I'm a sucker for all Kasie West books.  We just received her new one, By Your Side, in the summer book order.  

When I took this book home to ready, I was at first a little bit unsure of the premise... I was thinking "Really?  Stuck in a library? Is this going to be really cheesy?" I had no need to worry, true to a Kasie West YA romance, it sucked me in and I finished it in two days.

Autumn and "bad-boy" Dax find themselves accidentally stuck in a library over a long weekend.  Will Autumn forget about her almost boyfriend Jeff and fall for Dax?  The setting of this book is not only the library.  Don't worry....they get out about halfway through the book and continue on with with the romance and angst!

Find By Your Side in our library at: ROMANCE F WES

Happy Halloween!

Thank you Ms. Shuborna and Mr. Shoyab for creating our awesome Halloween displays.

Have a spooky Halloween!

Leveling Books

A professional read!  Interview with Fountas and Pinnell from School Library Journal that touches on the leveling of classroom libraries. At the schools I've worked at, school libraries are not leveled but classroom libraries are. This article contradicts that thinking in regards to leveling classroom libraries.

"We certainly never intended that children focus on a label for themselves in choosing books in classroom libraries." (Fountas &Pinnell)

and even better....

"It is our belief that levels have no place in classroom libraries, in school libraries, in public libraries, or on report cards."  (Fountas &Pinnell)

Fountas and Pinnell Say Librarians Should Guide Readers by Interest, Not Level

Our recent article on reading levels and the dangers of using strictly prescribed leveling systems in libraries for young readers sparked much dialogue and debate. One of the most popular and widely used reading systems is the "A to Z" gradient, developed by Irene C.

Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin

(Image from Amazon.com)

Halloween is coming so how about a creepy, but funny, sci-fi read?  Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin, was not a novel I thought I'd like at first, but I was surprised how engaging it was.  Even though the title sounds morbid, this book kept me laughing.  I'll definitely be reading the sequel, Denton Little's Still Not Dead

This summary is from Amazon because they say it so much better than I do:

Denton Little’s Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day on which they will die. For Denton, that’s in just two days—the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton’s long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters. . . . Suddenly Denton’s life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Find Denton Little's Death Date in our library at: SCI-FI F RUB 

Parent Tea: Social Media

Here's a funny video about parents and technology that we shared at our recent Parent Tea on social media use.

Need more informational resources on social media?  Try Common Sense Media for media reviews and parent/family guides!

Awkward Things Your Parents Do With Technology

Cricket, director. Awkward Things Your Parents Do With Technology. YouTube, Boldly, 19 Dec. 2014,
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTGkgrZdPfs.

Humans of New York Stories by Brandon Stanton

(Image from Amazon.com)

Aside from the odd Facebook post, I have not read a lot of Humans of New York stories.  I know...I'm a bit behind on this popular project started by Brandon Stanton.

I picked this book up during back-to-school night and couldn't put it down (except to talk to parents, of course!)

The images are superb and it is amazing to hear the many stories people have to share.

I did a bit more research and found the website: http://www.humansofnewyork.com. There are lots more stories to be found here!

Check out the website and check out the book from our library: 974.7 STA