Doss Library

Topher Bradfield of BookPeople sharing a picture book with the Doss Owls.

Fog Island, Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom, Not Your Typical Dragon & That is NOT a Good Idea!

Jinx, BAD Unicorn, The ODD Squad, Loki's Wolves

Topher stopped by the Doss Library this week and booktalked some fun summer reads. Check out my earlier post "Summer Reading- Dive into a Good Book" that includes a list of book suggestions by grade level.

Dear Friends,

We hope that you find the following information useful! We have included a link to the Austin Public Library summer reading program, links to some great book lists and resources, and a grade-level summer reading list. The books mentioned are merely suggestions and the list is certainly not comprehensive. In most cases, the titles listed have been published within the last ten years and should be available through local libraries and bookstores…although that is not a guarantee.
We recommend the Texas Bluebonnet List for students in 3rd through 5th grade. While not every title is appropriate for every grade, there is certainly something for everyone. For our primary readers in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, we suggest looking at the Texas 2x2 Book List. Because these lists are specific to Texas, there is a good chance that you can access the titles through the Austin Public Library. As always, we advise that parents preview all titles, to insure that the literature is appropriate for your child.

Topher Bradfield of BookPeople is sharing his summer book picks with the Doss Owls this week. Be sure to head down to our favorite independent bookseller to support the in-store book fair benefitting the Doss Library and stock up on some great summer reads Tuesday, May 21st through Monday, May 27th. Make sure to bring a copy of the flyer (or tell the cashier that your from Doss) so that our school will get credit!

Have a great summer and don't forget to dive into a good book!
Mrs. Lang and Mrs. Willis
Doss Elementary Librarians

Great Resources on the Web:
 Austin Public Library

http://library.austintexas.gov/youth-recommends
http://library.austintexas.gov/youth-events


 Texas 2x2 Reading List

http://www.txla.org/groups/2x2


 Texas Bluebonnet Reading List

http://www.txla.org/tba-nominees


 Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Reading Planet

http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet.htm


 The Book Hive

http://www.bookhive.org/


 Guys Read

http://www.guysread.com/


 Monster Librarian

http://monsterlibrarian.com/


 International Children’s Digital Library

http://en.childrenslibrary.org/


Summer Before Kindergarten:

 Black, Michael Ian. I’m Bored. (Fiction)

 Cook, Michelle. Our Children Can Soar. (Nonfiction)

 Costello, David. Little Pig Joins the Band. (Fiction)

 Ehlert, Lois. RRRalph. (Fiction)

 Henkes, Kevin. Penny and her Marble. (Fiction)

 MacKay, Elly. If You Hold a Seed. (Fiction)

 Messner, Kate. Over and Under the Snow. (Nonfiction)

 Ray, Mary Lyn. Mud. (Fiction)

 Schoonmaker, Elizabeth. Square Cat. (Fiction)

 Sierra, Judy. Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners. (Fiction)

 Stead, Philip. Bear has a Story to Tell. (Fiction)

 Thomas, Jan. Let’s Sing a Lullaby with Brave Cowboy. (Fiction)

 Wright, Johanna. Bunnies on Ice. (Fiction)

 Yolen, Jane. Here’s a Little Poem. (Nonfiction-Poetry)


Summer Before First Grade:

 Checonas, Dori. Cork and Fuzz: Best Friends. (Fiction-Series)

o Good Sports

o Short and Tall

o The Babysitters

o Finders Keepers

 Copeland, Cynthia. The Tooth Fairy Tells All. (Nonfiction)

 Green, Emily K. Backyard Wildlife: Raccoons. (Nonfiction-Series)

o Coyotes

o Deer

o Foxes

o Rabbits

o Snakes

o Squirrels

 Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales. (Nonfiction-Series)

o Mother Goose Tales

o Fables

o Short Scary Tales

 Katz, Susan. Oh Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems. (Nonfiction-Poetry)

 Lies, Brian. Bats at the Ballgame. (Fiction)

 McMullan, Kate. Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends. (Fiction-Series)

o Four Eyes

o Five Days Till Summer

o One Funny Day

 Metzger, Steve. Detective Blue. (Nonfiction-Graphic)

 Roemer, Heidi B. Come to my Party and Other Shape Poetry. (Nonfiction-Poetry)

 Schachner, Judy. Skippyjon Jones: Cirque De Ole. (Fiction-Series)

o Skippyjon Jones

o Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble

o Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse

o Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones

o Skippyjon Jones: Lost in Space

o Skippyjon Jones: Class Action

 Schotter, Roni. The Boy Who Loved Words. (Fiction)


Summer Before Second Grade:

 Abbott, Tony. Goofballs #1 The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder. (Fiction)

 Amani, Mary Jo. Excuse Me, I’m Trying to Read. (Fiction)

 Aston, Dianna Hutts. A Rock is Lively. (Nonfiction)

 Bernheimer, Kate. The Lonely Book. (Fiction)

 DiCamillo, Kate. Bink and Gollie. (Fiction-Series)

o Bink and Gollie: Two For One

o Bink and Gollie: Best Friends Forever

 Grey, Mini. Traction Man. (Fiction-Series)

o Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog

o Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey

o Traction Man is Here

 Howe, James. Otter and Odder: A Love Story. (Fiction)

 Jenkins, Steve. The Beetle Book. (Nonfiction)

 McKay, Hilary. Lulu and the Duck in the Park. (Fiction-Series)

o Lulu and the Dog from the Sea

 Pinkwater, Daniel. Mr. Noodlekugel. (Fiction)

 Rosenstock, Barb. The Camping Trip that Changed America. (Nonfiction)


Summer Before Third Grade:

 Ain, Beth Levine. Starring Jules (as herself). (Fiction)

 Amato, Mary. Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook. (Fiction)

 Ancona, George. It’s Our Garden. (Nonfiction)

 Birney, Betty. School Days According to Humphrey. (Fiction-Series)

 Clements, Andrew. Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School. (Fiction-Series)

o We the Children

o Fear Itself

o The Whites of Their Eyes

o In Harms Way

 Delaney. Obi, Gerbil on a Mission. (Fiction)

 Gifford, Peggy. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank You Notes. (Fiction-Series)

o Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little

o Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing the Piano

 Holm, Jennifer. Game On! (Nonfiction-Squish Series)

 Johnston, Tony. Levi Strauss gets a Bright Idea. (Fiction)

 Jenkins, Steve. The Beetle Book. (Nonfiction)

 MacLachlan, Patricia. White Fur Flying. (Fiction)

 Markel, Michelle. Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909. (Nonfiction)

 Watson, Tom. Stick Dog. (Fiction)

 Wissinger, Tamera. Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verses. (Fiction)


Summer Before Fourth Grade:

 Babbit, Natalie. The Moon Over High Street. (Fiction)

 Burns, Loree Griffin. Citizen Scientists: Be Part of a Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard. (Nonfiction)

 Else, Barbara. The Traveling Resturant: Jasper’s Voyage in Three Parts. (Fiction)

 Greenwood, Cathleen. Because of Shoe and Other Dog Stories. (Nonfiction)

 Healy, Christopher. The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. (Fiction)

 Horvath, Polly. Mr. And Mrs. Bunny-Detectives Extrodinaire! (Fiction)

 Ibbotson, Eva. One Dog and His Boy. (Fiction)

 Losure, Mary. The Fairy Ring: Or, Elsie and Frances Fool the World. (Nonfiction)

 Trogan, Brit. Margaret and the Moth Tree. (Fiction)

 Weeks, Sarah. As Simple as it Seems. (Fiction)


Summer Before Fifth Grade:

 Adderson, Caroline. Middle of Nowhere. (Fiction)

 Ashley-Hollinger, Mika. Precious Bones. (Fiction)

 Bacon, Lee. Joshua Dread. (Fiction)

 Foley, Lizzie K. Remarkable. (Fiction)

 DeCristofano, Carolyn Cinami. A Black Hole is NOT a Hole. (Nonfiction)

 Freedman, Russell. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship. (Nonfiction)

 Healy, Christopher. The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle. (Fiction)

 Montgomery, Sy. Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World. (Nonfiction)

 Rex, Adam. Cold Cereal. (Fiction)

 Stead, Rebecca. Liar and Spy. (Fiction)

Here is the video you've all been waiting for... Enjoy!!!

http://youtu.be/im1TxJsIMBU

This just in... 2012-2013 Winter Reading Program Details

To participate students will read from December 21th thru January 6th.

Record how many minutes the student reads on the log. Families may read to the student.

The Winter Reading Log is available online on the PTA website.
Print a copy at home or pick one up in the Doss library.
Students in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade participate by continuing to read 20 minutes each day for 10+ days. Younger readers improve best with daily practice.

Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade participate by reading a minimum of 300 minutes. These students can read 30 minutes each day for 10 days or any other combination to reach at least 300 total minutes.

The final step is to return the log to your teacher or to the library before Friday January 11, 2013.
Various prizes are available for our Doss Winter Readers. Get ready to READ over winter break! Have fun!!!

I just got back from a great evening at our favorite bookstore!!! I met author Lee Bacon and learned about his book, Joshua Dread.  Here's a sneak peak...  "For most people, the end of the world is a bad thing. For others, it's a career.  Our class got out of sixth period early the day my parents tried to flood the earth." So begins Lee's book about a boy whose parents are super villians. This is the first in a planned series of three books and is sure to be a great read. Lee was inspired by a favorite Doss author... Any idea who that might be?  He also shared that he is a fan of Roald Dahl and Madeline L'Engle. Two copies were generously given to us by Brenda at Random House-- how awesome is that?!? I will get these books cataloged next week. If you want to be one of the first to read Joshua Dread, leave a comment here and I will do a drawing for the first two students who will get to check out a copy. Please do not include your last name!  The rule is first name and last initial only when you are leaving a comment.

I just learned about a cool website that you might want to check out- Investigating the First Thanksgiving: You are the Historian. I think that you will have fun learning some Thanksgiving facts and also some great research and social studies skills. Let me know what you think.  Have a Very Happy Thanksgiving!!!