A New Capstone Book Perfect For Fall...A Bold Pumpkin Plan By Katy Hudson! Find The NEW Activities Guide & Interactive Choice Board Here Too!

 

I have a favorite new book for fall.  It's called A Bold Pumpkin Plan by the amazing Katy Hudson. 

Katy has written and illustrated so many wonderful books with Capstone.  We love them all in our library and classrooms. 

A Bold Pumpkin Plan...

...is about the sweetest character, Hedgehog. 

A plan to build a unique home takes a timid Hedgehog on an incredible journey of self-discovery. From meeting new friends to conquering countless obstacles, Hedgehog tackles his house plan with a newfound confidence. Best-selling creator Katy Hudson (Too Many Carrots and Mindful Mr. Sloth) combines her stunning, detailed artwork with themes of friendship, problem solving, and self-awareness in this empowering picture book.

As I read A Bold Pumpkin Plan, so many ideas popped in my head on how we can use this book.  

I love all of the research and STEM opportunities and projects we can create.  

In the A Bold Pumpkin Plan Activities Guide, there are several activities and one is...

...Design Your Perfect Pumpkin House. After students plan out their house, they could create it from a real pumpkin. How fun would that be! 

I also thought about how our students learn about fall and pumpkins in the fall every year. We use PebbleGo to research and learn about the Pumpkin Harvest and other fall topics. 

We also use our Capstone Interactive eBooks to learn about pumpkins and fall. In fact, we even have A Bold Pumpkin Plan in our CI eBooks...

...and this great informational nonfiction book, Pumpkins. 

I put all of these together in an interactive choice boards to bring this special new book and idea to my teachers and students this fall.  

In the choice board, after they read, research and design their perfect pumpkin house, they can....

...click on New Project at the bottom of the PebbleGo Pumpkin Harvest article, 

go to our PebbleGo Create, and...

...create their Perfect Pumpkin with stickers, animations, drawings and text. 

PebbleGo Create is an engaging digital tool for students to show what they know in meaningful and exciting ways. Our kids LOVE PebbleGo Create, and will love creating their perfect pumpkin! 

I made a copy of the choice board for all of you.  Go here to make a copy. 

After you have added all of your links and resources, click on File, to Share, and Publish to the Web. That link is what you share with your students. 

On the Capstone Fall 2024 Preview page here, you will find....

....the A Bold Pumpkin Plan Preview and Activity Kit, plus a lot of other amazing new Capstone books. 

And you will find A Bold Pumpkin Plan hardcover and Capstone Interactive eBooks at capstonepub.com here.

Have a fun time reading and sharing A Bold Pumpkin Plan this fall with your students too, friends. 

Check Out The NEW Follett Content Makerspace and Hands-On Learning Pages!

Friends, check out the NEW Follett Content Makerspace and Hands-On Learning pages! 

This amazing resource let us browse books and hands-on learning lists for PreK-12 education. 

As shared on the page, 

We understand you have no time to waste. That's why we want to help!

As a distribution leader of book and hands-on learning for PreK-12 schools, Follett Content offers tools to compile free and easy-to-use lists of recommended products by relevant and trending topics in education. Educators and administrators can find:

• Books: New, popular, and quality books supplemented with strategies, free guides, and teaching downloads backed by third party reviews, and detailed product information.

• Hands-On: Browse by popular product lines and subjects. Find storage solutions to outfit your Makerspaces, STEM labs, media centers, and library with products for arts and crafts projects, robotics, 3-D printing, prototyping, and more.

These lists will empower you to advocate for the books and hands-on learning materials you need to help students succeed!

From the Books and Hands-On Learning home page here, you can click on any of the three main categories including...

When you click on a category, like I clicked on Support STEAM and Core Subjects with Makerspace and Hands-On Learning Resources, it will open up onto a page that describes what is available and gives a...

...visual list of these materials too.  

I clicked on Art Products and Grades 6-12. It gave me a great list of products. 

In the upper right corner, you will see a little tile that says 6 our of 400 from the list I picked. I can click on the green button that says Shop Full List and it opens up into...

...Follett Titlewave.  I love this feature because it will allow me to add products to the lists I create and order within my Titlewave account. 

In our library, we have a STEM program and STEM teacher.  We share materials and talk about new things we want to bring to our school community. Using Titlewave to research products and organize orders will be the perfect place for us to collaborate on new books for STEM and makerspace,  and hands-on learning materials together. 

This will be such an amazing place for us as the librarian and STEM teacher, but also all of our teachers too. 

You can check it out here, friends. 

Fall Is Back and So Is Capstone With So Many NEW Books! Join This Webinar To Hear About The Fall '24 Hot Picks!

 

Fall is back and so is Capstone!

Discover our newest brands, characters and curriculum solutions for your students. And don't forget, Learning Is For Everyone! Join us on Thursday, September 12th from 4p.m. -4:30 pm CST for an exclusive sneak peek at Capstone’s newest titles! • Introducing Tana Cooks, Bo Keeps the Beat and Nhia Normal! • Exciting spooky reads for Fall! • New titles and series from #AuthenticVoices authors • Engaging nonfiction for all ages • High Interest topics to get kids excited to learn • Vivid graphic novels • And so much more! A lot is changing for back-to-school 2024, but you can always count on is a new crop of fantastic books from Capstone!

You can register for this wonderful new Capstone webinar here, friends.

Inspiring & Supporting a Love of Reading Within Our Community: The Top 5 Reasons We Love Destiny Discover Engage

As we kick off the new school year, I have been busy visiting classrooms for our library orientation. This is the perfect time to get all of our students and teachers connected to our library and technology resources including Follett Destiny Library Manager.  

Our students get so excited every time I show them Destiny Library Manager because they see all the print and digital resources we have in our library collection. I remind them that they can find books and information anytime, anywhere within Destiny Library Manager. It not only inspires a love of reading but gives them the essential tools every student needs to succeed. 

After I show them around Destiny Library Manager, I tell them I have something super cool to show inside of this exciting platform.

It's called Destiny Discover Engage. It's my favorite special add-on to Destiny Library Manager and brings so many benefits to all of our readers. It’s packed with features that make reading even more fun. 

Let me show you the Top 5 Reasons We Love Destiny Discover Engage and how it takes our students independent reading journey to the next level in so many special and exciting ways. 

1. Personalized Student Reading Recommendations: 

Students can set their own reading preferences using a fun interest survey that pops up the first time they log in. Based on what they enjoy, Destiny Discover Engage suggests books they might like, helping them find their next great read! This really helps students focus on what books they might want to check out next from the library.

                              

2. Engaging Student Reading Programs and Initiatives: 

Students can join reading programs like summer reading challenges, school-wide book events, or even book clubs. This year, I’ve used this feature to promote our Iowa Award Books, and it’s been a big hit!

3. Reading Challenges  

One of the most exciting features is the ability for students to set up their own reading challenges. They can challenge themselves or invite friends to join. For example, a student created a challenge to read four basketball-themed books in November – and their friends loved it!

It is very easy to add any book from your library Destiny Discover to a Challenge. Students can be part of as many Challenges as they would like to join and can also leave them at any time. 

4. Track Reading Progress with Insights

Students can easily track their reading progress. This helps them stay motivated and on track toward reaching their reading goals! 

5. Celebrate Reading Achievements with Badges

As our students have joined Engage this fall, they get so excited when they earn a new badge.  It gives them the insight they need into making their goals and tracking their reading progress. 

I am excited to watch our reading community grow within Destiny Discover Engage. Throughout the school year, our students will have lots of opportunities to use Engage within their classroom, school community, and connected with classmates and share their love for books. It’s an excellent way to encourage reading all year long, and the best part? It creates a safe and supportive space where students can grow their love of reading

Engage is part of the growing suite of software and services from Follett Software. They support our educational goals and are committed to delivery exceptional service. This includes all things, Destiny. We still receive the committed, personalized, and expert assistance that has always been their standard. They continue to stand by us and are committed to delivering exceptional service. 

You can explore and learn more about Engage here, friends. 

P.S.. Learn about other ways to maximize Destiny Library Manager here. 

The Power of the School Librarian....A Wonderful Infographic From Our Friends At Capstone To Support, Share and Celebrate Our Role As School Librarians!

 

As we head into another school year, it is the perfect time for us to celebrate, share and educate others about the importance and impact of school librarians and libraries. 

The Power of the School Librarian infographic from our friends at Capstone is always one of my favorite things to use to supoort, share, and celebrate our role as school librarians. In fact, they have updated this amazing infographic for all of us to use. 

It's perfect to print off to post in your library and throughout the school community; to include in your newsletter or yearly report; to share with school board members and administrators; to share with your teachers and families; to post on your social media; to add to your website and so much more.  

You will find The Power of the School Librarian infographic here, friends.

You're Invited To Join Fostering Collaboration, Building Communities: A Special Event To Learn With Me!

Friends, I would love to invite you to join me for a new Level Up Village webinar on September 26, 2024 at 5:00pm EST. 

This will be a special online event for teacher librarians to learn more about fostering collaboration and  building communities with LUV for Libraries, an amazing new initiative we have created with Level Up Village. 

We will talk about this exciting new initiative and demonstrate how you can connect with librarians nationwide, fostering a vibrant community, and providing your students with opportunities to collaborate with peers from diverse backgrounds to build their digital, literacy, and 21st century skills.

Register here for our event. I hope to see you there.

You can learn all about LUV for Libraries and register here.

 

Celebrate #BeWhoYouAreDay On September 30 With Todd Parr, Lots Of Awesome Activities & This FUN Interactive Choice Board!

 

Friends, I have a very special day to share with all of you. It's called #BeWhoYouAreDay and will be celebrated on September 30. It is inspired by one of our favorite authors, Todd Parr.

Todd inspires and empowers children around the world with fun, positive messages. 

With his amazing book, Be Who You Are, Todd wants every kid to feel just how special they truly are, and that’s why we’re celebrating #BeWhoYouAreDay on September 30. 

As you get ready for Be Who You Are Day, there are so many awesome resources on Todd's site.

You will find this fun sheet to share how you are celebrating; 

drawing and....

...learning activities, 

coloring sheets to print off, 

stickers to make for the day and more! You will find everything here. 

My sister, Heather Fox, who is the teacher librarian at Amana Elementary in Amana, Iowa, made this adorable and fun...

...#BeWhoYouAreDay Choice Board to share with her learners at school and at home. 

And guess what? She wants to share it with all of us so we can use it with our students, teachers and school community too.  You will find it here, friends. 

If you want to make changes within the choice board, you can make a copy of it here. 

Thank you, Heather, for creating such a wonderful and special place for all of us to go as we celebrate #BeWhoYouAreDay with our community and others around the world. 

And thank you Todd and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for bringing us such a special day.  We can't wait to celebrate our kids on @BeWhoYouAreDay too.

I added the Be Who You Are Choice Board to the September Choice Board here.

Join Me For The Upcoming Webinar....Adventures Awaits For Our Readers With Online Book eFairs From Follett Content!

 

I hope you will join me for the upcoming Follett Content Webinar, Adventures Awaits For Our Readers With Online Book eFairs! 

As shared on the invite, 

Renowned teacher librarian Shannon McClintock Miller is no stranger to hosting a book fair. In fact, she hosts them bi-annually as they support her readers with books, and library with new books and resources. 

Find out why she’s added online Follett Book eFairs into the mix, how she took them to the next level, and how her students responded. And she’ll be the first to unveil the theme and book selections for the Spring 2025 Book eFair season!

Attendees will learn:

• How to quickly and easily set up an online Follett Book eFair

• Ideas and key takeaways that will help you bring your online fair to life

• Ways to get teachers, students, families, and communities involved and excited

• The new theme and book highlights for the Spring 2025 Follett Book eFair season

You can register here today.  

Everyone who registers will receive the recording and resources after the webinar too. 

BIG News From LUV For Libraries! Six Courses Are Now Available To Foster Collaboration and Connect Our Communities.

 

Friends, I am excited to share some BIG news from LUV for Libraries, the special project I have been working on with Level Up Village. LUV for Libraries revolutionizes K-5 education by empowering teacher librarians to connect and collaborate with peers nationwide on a safe and secure platform. 

We kicked off LUV for Libraries in the spring with the We Are Digital Explorers course based on my book, Sonia's Digital World. 

There are now SIX LUV for Libraries courses available and range from ages 4-11. Subscriptions run for 12 months and give you access to six project-based courses aimed at enhancing critical library, literacy, and technology skills while fostering collaboration, communication, and empathy.

With these courses, librarians can bring such amazing learning experiences to their students by being creative, collaborative, and connected within the library and to a partner school. 

Our students were so excited and engaged when we participated in the We Are Digital Explorers course last spring.  Our students not only focused on themselves as digital explorers and citizens, they learned from our "new friends and classmates" in the other school who we were partnered with. It opened up an opportunity for wonderful discussions and learning around such important topics tied to the use of technology and the ISTE Standards for Students.  

LUV for Libraries gives librarians great tools and opportunities to lead from the library in innovative, important and creative ways.  It also brings collaboration to your practice within the school, and globally. 

You can find out more at LUV for Libraries here.  I hope that you join us, friends.