Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Festive Snowman
Image from www.mycutiegraphics.com
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to all! Hope everyone has a day filled joyful noise and wonderful memories!

Check out my previous post for some great cookie books!  When I posted, I had not read Cookies:  Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. While doing some last minute Christmas shopping, I stopped by a bookstore. I found a copy of this book in the children's section.  This book is INCREDIBLE!! I LOVE it!  I will be getting a copy of this one for the Hollywood library!  It is a great book that explains terms like "fair" and "unfair" in ways that kids can understand by using cookies.  

While I was searching online last night I discovered Amy Krouse Rosenthal has written two more "cookie lesson" books, Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons and Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love.  In the Christmas Cookies book Rosenthal tackles holiday words like "believe, celebrate, and joy".  In the Sugar Cookies book Rosenthal tackles words like "selfless and considerate".  If these two are anything like the first, I can't wait to read them.  I will be getting both for the Hollywood library too.

Don't forget to share what you have been reading over break in the comments!

Happy Reading!!

Miss Hazuda

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies!!

Cookie Mix Ingredients
Image from www.mycutegraphics.com
With the holidays fast approaching, all I seem to be doing is baking cookies! Not that I'm complaining, but sometimes I have to take a break from the cookie dough.  I've got a few good books that you can read and a really fun app for the younger kids.  

One of my favorite cookie books has to be The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. I never get tired of reading her version of the Gingerbread Boy. She is one of my favorite authors.  I read this too the Kindergarten and First Grade students last week and then we watched Jan Brett draw the Gingerbread Baby.  This was a really treat!  She makes it look so easy!  Each year I try and practice, but drawing is not my thing!




There are a few great cookie books that can be found at the Leonardtown Public Library.  Even if they are in there right now, they can always be put on hold.  The first two written by Lisa Campbell Ernst, The Gingerbread Girl and The Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers.  I discovered The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup last year.  I have not personally read Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krose Rosenthal, but it looks like one I will be reading real soon. And I can't forget a great cookie one by Mo Willems, The Ducking Gets a Cookie?! What are your favorite cookie books or do you have a great cookie cookbook? Please share in the comments.


An app that I discovered last year, Cookie Doodle, is a a fun app!  It allows the user to "make" cookies.  The user can either use premade dough or mix the dough themselves.  Then they bake the dough and can use cookie cutters to make shapes. Finally they can decorate the cookies.  Last year we had a lot of fun with this app.

Student book reviews will be up soon.  I just have to upload two pictures. Make sure that you keep reading over the Winter Break.  I'll be posting some of the titles that I'm reading.  Some Media Specialists and Teachers have been coming up with lists that they think have a possibility of winning The Caldecott Medal, so those are the books I'm focusing on.  The Caldecott Medal is given for the illustrations.

Happy Reading!!

Miss Hazuda

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Student Book Reviews

Our student book reviews will be starting up again soon!  I've got three almost ready to go and eight more just waiting for their turn.  There are some really great books that have been reviewed. Keep checking back for the book reviews.

Miss Hazuda