Welcome to day 3 of the Bluebonnet and 2x2 showcase!  Remember, each day a new group of Bluebonnet and and 2x2 books will be featured. Please stop by the library to pick up a Bluebonnet Buzz form or a 2x2 boot to help you keep track of all of these great reads! Happy reading! :) 



Happenstance Found (The Books of Umber #1)
by P.W. Cantanese

Twelve-year-old Happenstance wakes up in a cave with no idea how he got there, or who he is, but merchant and royal advisor Lord Umber helps Hap and his two friends escape from the caverns.

Want to learn more about the Happenstance Found? Click here!
Don't forget to check out the awesdom Books of Umber series trailer!

Immogene's Last Stand
by Candace Flemming

Enamored of history, young Imogene Tripp tries to save her town's historical society from being demolished in order to build a shoelace factory.

Want to know more about Imogene's Last Stand? Click here!

Chalk

by Bill Thomson

A wordless picture book about three children who go to a park on a rainy day, find some chalk, and draw pictures that come to life.

Want to learn more about Chalk? Click here!

Chicken Big!

by Kieth Graves

Chicken Big is the largest chicken on the farm and the other chicks think he is some other kind of animal or thing. He longs to be accepted as a chicken and, when he saves the chickens' eggs from the fox, he is hailed as their hero. Includes color illustrations.

Want to learn more about Chicken Big!? Click here!

- My Cup Runneth Over - 

I absolutely love working in education! Becoming a teacher and then a librarian were some of the best decisions I have ever made because I work with amazing students, teachers, administration, and parents! Thank you for showing your support through graduate school and my first year as a librarian! :)

Here are some pictures of the library office after my amazing team, students, and teachers decided to 'redecorate' a little.

A beautiful sign created by our amazing students and teachers!

Another nifty sign on the library office door!

I think there were around 280 of these! Thank you students and teachers for helping to blow these up! (By the way, the green and white are the school colors of the university I graduated from...in case you were wondering!)

- Thank you again for your love and support!!!! :)

Calling all Bluebonnet Readers and 2x2 Readers! Thank you for being patient! Introducing Day 2 of the Bluebonnet and 2x2 showcase!  Remember, each day a new group of Bluebonnet and and 2x2 books will be featured. Please stop by the library to pick up a Bluebonnet Buzz form or a 2x2 boot to help you keep track of all of these great reads! Happy reading! :) 

Balarama: A Royal Elephant

by Ted and Betsy Lewin

Describes the true story of an elephant named Balarama who is chosen to be the new lead elephant when Drona is killed in an accident. Describes the ancient festival of Dasara and the procession on the last day when Balarama will carry the golden howday, a ceremonial carriage, in the grand finale parade. Depicts his flawless performance which was then on the front-page of the "The Times of India." Includes basic elephant facts, lists the most recent royal elephants of the Mysore Dasara, and provides a glossary and pronunciation guide.

Want to learn more about this amazing royal elephant? Click here!

Goal

by Mina Javaherbin

In a dangerous alley in a township in South Africa, the strength and unity which a group of young friends feel while playing soccer keep them safe when a gang of bullies arrives to cause trouble.

Want to learn more about Goal!? Click here!

A Beach Tail
by Karen Lynn Williams

When his father tells him not to leave the lion he is drawing on the beach, a little boy starts making a very, very long tail--and a trail to follow back.

Want to learn more about A Beach Tail? Click here!

Cat the Cat Who is That?
by Mo Willems

An exuberant cat introduces readers to her friends.


Want to learn more about Cat the Cat Who is That? Click here!
Want to learn more about Mo Willems? Check out his amazing website!

Don't forget to check out the video below with Mo Willems himself!

Does anyone have a fly swatter that I can borrow?

Wait a minute!

It's Fly Guy and he's invaded the library!!! 

Check out these amazing books about our new pal Fly Guy! Click here!

Want to hear the book Super Fly Guy read by a real kid? Check out the video...he did the voices, too! Happy reading!

Trouble with Blogger :(

Happy weekend loyal blog readers! I'm sorry that days 2 and 3 of the Bluebonnet and 2x2 books have disappeared. For some reason these posts (as well as the Fly Guy post) were lost in the fray of technical difficulties of Blogger. I will rewrite/repost these early next week. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience! 

Book(s) of the Day By Mrs. Mattei

Calling all Bluebonnet Readers and 2x2 Readers! Each day, a new group of Bluebonnet books and 2x2 books will be featured. This will help you to get ready for summer reading! Please stop by the library to pick up a Bluebonnet Buzz form or a 2x2 boot to help you keep track of all of these great reads! Happy reading! :) 

Bluebonnet Books of the Day:

Amazing Faces

by Lee Bennett Hopkins  

 A collection of poems and detailed color portraits that reveal a range of emotions. Includes an infant, a firefighter, a young soldier returning home, and a karate kid.

Want to know more about Amazing Faces? Click here!

Black Elk's Vision: A Lakota Story

by S.D. Nelson

 Recounts how a childhood vision shaped the life of Black Elk, a Lakota-Oglala medicine man who was involved in the battles of Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee.

 Want to know more about Black Elk's Vision? Click here!

2x2 Books of the Day:

1 + 1 = 5: and Other Unlikely Additions

by David LaRochelle

Colorful illustrations and unusual calculations encourage children to think about numbers in a creative way.  

Want to learn more about 1 + 1 = 5? Click here!

A Balloon for Isabel
by Deborah Underwood

As graduation day approaches, Isabel tries to convince her teacher that she and Walter, both porcupines, should receive balloons on the big day just like the other children.  


Want to learn more about A Balloon for Isabel? Click here!

Question? What do a fish, a mouse, California*, and a whole lot of 1st graders have to do with each other?

Answer: A 1st grade Leo Lionni author study!!! :)

The 1st graders had a blast talking about Mr. Lionni's artistic style as well as making text-to-self connections with the books and their own lives. Check out the books that we studied last week! 

Fish is Fish

When his friend, the tadpole, becomes a frog and leaves the pond to explore the world, the little fish decides that maybe he doesn't have to remain in the pond either.

Swimmy

Swimmy, a small black fish, finds a way to protect a school of small red fish from their natural enemies.

**When we read Swimmy, the students were able to take a "trip" to California through the magic of the Internet!! Using the AMAZING Monterrey Bay Aquarium website, the students watched the live webcams of habitats of fish, otters, and penguins (Paz the Library Penguin would be proud!)!! Check it out for yourself! Click here!

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse

Alexander, the mouse, makes friends with Willy, a toy mouse, and wants to be just like him until he discovers that Willy is to be thrown away.

Frederick

Frederick, the poet mouse, stores up something special for the long, cold winter.

The students not only learned a lot about Lio Lionni's books but they were also able to learn about nouns and adjectives as well as make predictions about what life  would be like if we skipped the season of summer!! This week was a fantastic week! Want to read other books by Leo Lionni? Check out the online catalog!

Check out these other amazing videos with the author himself.

Happy reading! :)