If you are a dog lover or just like a book that will make you laugh, check this book of the day out! Happy reading! :)

Say Hello to Zorro!

by Carter Goodrich

Mister Bud, the family dog, has a satisfying routine to his life, but when another dog joins the family and disrupts his schedule, Mister Bud must learn to adapt.

Want to learn more about the author? Click here! 

(P.S. He is AMAZING and you have probably already seen some of his work!)

Check out this nifty book trailer for the book!

Introducing the MackinVIA!

With MackinVIA, it is your key to the databases that are available to FISD students. Included in the FISD subscription are EBSCO, World Book, & PebbleGO. All you need is the campus-specific username and password. Please email the Mrs. Mattei at matteie@friscoisd.org to request the username and password. Also, you can download the FREE MackinVIA app to your Apple or Android device and you will have access to these databases anytime! Click the image below to begin your research journey! 

If you would like to check out more online tools, click here or go to the "Student Resources" tab at the top of the blog. Happy researching! :)

(November Edition)

Where did November go?? November was another busy month in the Sonntag library! The month started with the closing of our fall Scholastic Book Fair. Because of the wonderful Sonntag community, the library as well as classroom libraries were able to acquire so many books for the students! Wow! In addition, 5th graders researched ecosystems using library books, encyclopedias, as well as our online databases. Kinder students also participated in a fantastic pumpkin technology project. Finally, the library played host to a Librarian & Library Aide of the Day. Check out the photos below to find out more about these amazing activities! 

Here are some of our fantastic 5th graders researching using the online databases. 

The 5th graders also used other library resources to use during their ecosystems research. 

Check out this amazing pumpkin technology project that Kinder kids participated in! 

Meet our wonderful Librarian & Librarian Aide- of - the - Day! 

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

81

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

2,118

Number of Items in Collection

11,969

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach

Wrapped up the 2012-2013 fall Scholastic Book Fair 

Assisted and hosted all 5th grade classes during their ecosystems research

Collaborated with the technology facilitator as well a fellow librarian to create a pumpkin technology activity with the Kindergarten students 

Promoted the 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award Program with 3-5 grades

Promoted the 2011-2012 2x2 Reading Program with Preschool-2nd grades

Presented a weekly Good Morning Sonntag Book Bits update

Updated the Where in the World Do You Read? board

Maintained student writer & new items displays to promote reading interests 

Updated a daily Fact of the Day by Mrs. Mattei fact

Open checkout every day for all Sonntag students, parents, and staff

Weekly preschool storytimes with future Sonntag students and families  

Hosted parent library volunteers

Hosted & promoted the Sonntag Staff Book Club for the 2012-2013 school year

Administrative Activities

Won a grant from the Frisco Education Foundation that will add more Playaways to the library shelves!!!! 

Wrapped up fall Scholastic Book Fair

Processed and added several new books to the library collection that were purchased using funds from the fall Book Fair

Collaborated with tech facilitator and fellow librarian to create tech-based activities for a pumpkin technology project with kindergarten students  

Planned and implemented the UIL Spelling tryouts for 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders 

Assisted the staff members in hosting the Sonntag Science Night for Sonntag families

Maintained the mobile app for the Sonntag Library

Maintained a forum for staff to discuss book club books

Adjusted the library schedule to accommodate classes for various activities 

Contributed to Specials weekly newsletter

Purchased new library books and materials 

Updated library blog and Twitter account weekly

Planned weekly library lessons

Opened new parent accounts

Hosted new and returning library volunteers

Professional Development Activities 

Attended campus meetings

Attended district library meeting

Read and kept up with new professional library journals  

On the Horizon...

Sonntag staff book club meeting in December & January 

Even more books for the library collection from the Book Fair are on their way! 
Weekly UIL Spelling practices for the UIL Spelling Team

Spring Book Fair will be in February

5th Grade book clubs are on the way

Mysterious school activity will be here soon! ;o)

Attention Kate Klise fans!!!! The next installment of the wildly popular 43 Old Cemetery Road series has arrived!! You will LOVE the new adventures that author Kate Klise carefully crafted. Please stop by to check this amazing book out. I know that you are DYING to! Happy reading!! ;o)

The Phantom of the Post Office

by Kate Klise 

With the impending closure of the post office, the transition to the new communication system VEXT-mail is anything but smooth for the human and paranormal residents of Ghastly, Illinois. Story told mostly through letters.

Want to learn more about author Kate Klise? Click here! 

Want to learn more about Dying to Meet You (the 1st in the series)? Click here!

Check out this book trailer for Dying to Meet You! 

Before the Thanksgiving break, the library, technology, and kindergarten staff members collaborated and hosted an AMAZING interactive technology and learning event that directly supported classroom lessons regarding pumpkins. The kindergarten students not only had the opportunity to listen to nonfiction stories about pumpkins, but they also participated in hands-on  pumpkin measurement activities as well as a wide variety of technology-centered stations around the library. The students (and staff members) had a FANTASTIC time and learned so much about this amazing fall icon. Some of the technology stations included pumpkin videos on iPod Touch devices, a Kidspiration Life Cycle activity on desktop computers, pumpkin puzzles on MacBook Airs, and MUCH more! A HUGE thank you goes out to the parent volunteers, teachers, and technology staff members who helped to make this all possible!! :)

Check out the pictures below to take a peek inside this awesome activity! 

Guess who's back?!?! That's right! You guessed it!! Greg Heffley is back in another crazy adventure in Keff Kinney's next adventure Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel. We hope you like it! Happy reading! :)

 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

by Jeff Kinney

Love is in the air—but what does that mean for Greg Heffley? A Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he’s worried he’ll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn’t have any prospects either, but that’s a small consolation. An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who’s going to be lucky in love.

Want to learn more about this awesome series? Click here! 

(October Edition)

October was a very busy month in the Sonntag library. Between the Frisco Public Library Storytelling Festival for 4th graders and the fall Scholastic Book Fair, the library was REALLY hopping! Check out some nifty stats for the month of October! Happy reading! :)

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

120

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

1,764

Number of Items in Collection

11,956

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach

Hosted the 2012-2013 fall Scholatic Book Fair 

Attended the Frisco Public Library Storytelling Festival with 4th grade

Participated in the Texas Library Accociation's Library Snapshot Day

Hosted as many classes as possbile for check out before the fall Book Fair 

Promoted the 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award Program with 3-5 grades

Promoted the 2011-2012 2x2 Reading Program with Preschool-2nd grades

Presented a weekly Good Morning Sonntag Book Bits update

Updated the Where in the World Do You Read? board weekly 

Maintained student writer & new items displays to promote reading interests 

Updated a daily Fact of the Day by Mrs. Mattei fact

Open checkout every day for all Sonntag students, parents, and staff

Weekly preschool storytimes with future Sonntag students and families  

Hosted parent library volunteers

Hosted & promoted the Sonntag Staff Book Club for the 2012-2013 school year

Administrative Activities

Planned, coordinated, and hosted the fall Scholastic Book Fair

Gathered data and presented data to the district and state for the Texas Library Association's Library Snapshot Day 

Collaborated with tech facilitator and fellow librarian to create tech-based activities for a pumpkin study with kindergarten

Created a library technoloty check out station 

Maintained the mobile app for the Sonntag Library

Maintained a forum for staff to discuss book club books

Adjusted the library schedule to accommodate classes for various activities 

Attended ITBS training to act as a sub for the 2nd grade standardized testing

Contributed to Specials weekly newsletter

Purchased new library books and materials 

Updated library blog and Twitter account weekly

Planned weekly library lessons

Opened new parent accounts

Hosted new and returning library volunteers

Professional Development Activities 

Attended campus meetings

Read and kept up with new professional library journals  

On the Horizon...

Sonntag staff book club meeting in November & December

More books for the library collection from the Book Fair are on their way! 
UIL Spelling tryouts and practices are around the corner

Are you a science nut?? Check out this awesome book of the day!! Happy reading!! :)

11 Experiments That Failed

by Jenny Offill

Teaches readers how to conduct science experiments through step-by-step instructions for eleven failed inquiries designed to test such hypotheses as whether it is possible to wash dishes in a washing machine, and if it is possible to live through the winter eating nothing but ketchup-covered snowballs.

Want to preview this book? Check this Google Book version out! 

It's time for some celebration!!!! The Sonntag library will soon be the proud owner of a BUNCH of new Playaways because of the Frisco Education Foundation's Grants for Great Ideas program. Mrs. Mattei wrote a grant at the beginning of the school year to request more of these awesome devices. The students cannot wait!! 

Calling all Sonntag students!!! Would you like to check out some awesome technology while you are in the library? You can check out a Macbook Air or an iPod Touch by simply signing your name on the cards at the circulation desk. Students have already started to check these amazing devices out! We hope to see you soon!! :) 

The fall Book Fair was a wild success!! A bunch of new books were added to the Sonntag library as well as in classroom libraries because of YOU!

If you still want to shop, you can click the logo below or on the right side of the blog to access the Online Book Fair. Items purchased will be shipped directly to Sonntag with your student's name on them after the Online Book Fair closes on November 18. 

We will see you in February for our spring Book Fair! :)

The Book of the Day combines beautiful art and poetry. Award winning author Joyce Sidman and illustrator Beth Krommes united to create a beautiful book about swirls that happen throughout nature. Included at the end of the book is a guide that explains the various swirls found around the world. Check it out! Happy reading! :) 

Swirl by Swirl

by Joyce Sidman

Full-color illustrations spotlight examples of spirals that occur in nature. 

Want to know more about author Joyce Sidman? Click here!

Check out this nifty book trailer for this beautiful book! 

The Fall Book Fair is Coming!!

Click the image for more information!

Raise your hand if you LOVE the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett??!! I do!
 

Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

If you raised your hand then I have a book for you!! Author Judi Barrett wrote a fantastic sequel to the epic book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Check it out! Happy reading! :)

 Dozing off while contemplating Grandpa's unusual vacation, Kate dreams about Chewandswallow, a town where giant food falls from the sky and is shipped off to hungry people around the world.

Want to learn more about author Judi Barrett? Click here!

Attention all Origami Yoda fans!!!! This 'Book of the Day' is dedicated to you. Author Tom Angleberger's next installment of the Origami Yoda series is sure to please. Stop by and check The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee! Happy reading! :)

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee

by Tom Angleberger 

McQuarrie Middle School's students miss Origami Yoda when Dwight leaves for Tippett Academy, but he sends Sara a paper Fortune Wookiee that seems to give advice just as good as Yoda's--even if, in the hands of girls, it seems preoccupied with romance.

Want to learn more about the Origami Yoda series or author Tom Angleberger? Click here! 

Want to learn how to make your very own Fortune Wookiee? Check this out!

The Sonntag library participated in the Texas Library Snapshot Day on Wednesday, October 3. The Texas Library Snapshot Day is an event that allows Texas libraries of all shapes and sizes give a glimpse into a day in the life of their programs and resources. Data was collected about the Sonntag library from the time the doors opened at 8:00 AM until the time it closed around 3:30 PM. This information was analyzed and sent to the Texas Library Association as well as Frisco ISD. The Library Snapshot Day was an eye-opening experience for the library staff because it showed how much library resources, library staff, as well as the library facility itself! Check out some of the data that was collected! Happy reading! :) 

* * * * *

(Check out this panorama pic of the Sonntag library!) 

* * * * * 

Number of Student/Parent/Teacher Visits: 321

Number of Computer Users (Check-ins/Checkouts/Computer searches): 340

Reference Questions: 76

Circulation Stats (Number of Check-ins & Checkouts): 497

Hits to Sonntag Library Blog: 45

Number of children (ages 0-12) participating in library programs: 309

Number of adults participating in library programs: 13

Number of students served by direct librarian instruction: 148

Number of teachers supported activities & collaborative efforts: 20

Number of student participating in non-class related activities: 40

Programs held on Snapshot Day: Preschool Storytime, Parent Library Volunteers, 7 class lessons & check-out

* * * * *

We hope you have enjoyed taking a look at one day in the Sonntag library! 

Image retrieved from http://www.lonestarstories.org/

Attention all 4th graders! The Lonestar Storytelling Festival is on Friday, October 19th! It is going to be a fantastic event! The students in the years past have truly enjoyed hearing the creative storytellers from around our community as well as from all over the country. Check out more information about this unique festival below: 

Click on the names below to find out more information. Also, check out the videos of the storytellers that will be at the festival!

Barbara McBride-Smith

Antonio Rocha

Andy Offutt Irwin

Motoko

Event details: Click here!

FISD Study Trip details: Click here!

How to get involved: Click here!

Overview of the storytellers themselves: Click here! 

(August/September Edition)

Welcome back y'all! It has been a fantastic start to a fantastic year! The library program is in full swing! There have already been a lot of events in the library. Check out the statistics for August & September. Happy reading! :) 

Number of Whole Class Visits: 

127

Number of Total Items Circulated (Checkouts & Checkins)

7,951

Number of Items in Collection

11,923

Library Instruction/Programs/Community Outreach

Hosted a 'Book Blast' the first week of school and hosted nearly every class on campus

Promoted the 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award Program with 3-5 grades

Promoted the 2011-2012 2x2 Reading Program with Preschool-2nd grades

Presented a weekly Good Morning Sonntag Book Bits update

Updated the Where in the World Do You Read? board weekly 

Maintained student writer & new items displays to promote reading interests 

Updated a daily Fact of the Day by Mrs. Mattei fact

Open checkout every day for all Sonntag students, parents, and staff

Weekly preschool storytimes with future Sonntag students and families  

Hosted parent library volunteers

Kicked off Sonntag Staff Book Club for the 2012-2013 school year

Administrative Activities

Created a collection of books for each grade level that represented examples of reading levels as well as genre for Curriculum Night

Continued to plan the fall Book Fair

Collaborated with tech facilitator and fellow librarian to create tech-based activities for a pumpkin study with kindergarten

Helped to host Chick-fil-a Spirit Night with the Specials Team

Met with administration regarding my goals for the library for the 2012-2013 school year

Wrote a grant for the FEF Grants for Great Ideas in hopes of adding to our Playaway collection

Maintained the mobile app for the Sonntag Library

Maintained a forum for staff to discuss book club books

Attended PTA Board meeting

Adjusted the library schedule to accommodate classes for various activities 

Participated in the campus Curriculum Night to promote the library program

Contributed to Specials weekly newsletter

Purchased new library books and materials 

Updated library blog and Twitter account weekly

Planned weekly library lessons

Opened new parent accounts

Hosted new and returning library volunteers

Professional Development Activities 

Attended EdCampDallas in order to gain new ideas to implement technology in the library program

Attended campus meetings

Read and kept up with new professional library journals 

Attended district library meetings
Attended district library professional development programs 

On the Horizon...

Sonntag staff book club meeting in October

The fall Book Fair will be open from October 29-November 2 (more details to come)

More books for the library collection are on their way!