Phenomenal Weekend at Festival of Books 2017

I had such a fabulous, phenomenal weekend at the Festival of Books. An opportunity to meet and listen to many talented authors, buy lots and lots of books, and enjoy so many people who have a love for literature. If you missed it, then there is always next year. #booksarelit #bookfest #usc #festivalofbooks #latimesfob #libraryqueene 

Festival of Books this Saturday

The Festival of Books will be happening this Saturday and Sunday on the beautiful campus of USC (University of Southern California) #gotrojans 😊 

Come out and enjoy the Festival:

Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 

Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

I'm super excited because yours truly will be a #bookworm this year. I love all the festival has to offer for people of all ages but I especially enjoy volunteering. 😌 The Festival of Books is a great "free" event for you to enjoy by yourself or with your family. 

Common Sense Media showing Love 💗 to School Librarians

How awesome and relevant is this article??? I just love that @commonsensemedia has taken the time to show the importance of those that serve students everyday and have a wealth of knowledge to share...... Your Friendly Librarian. Hats off to those awesome, amazing people that spark kids/teenagers interest with a book or the latest technology. #schoollibrariansrock #commonsensemedia #schoollibrarymonth Check out the article below:

10 Reasons Libraians are more Important Than Ever!

Art Fun with Fox and Socks

Have you ever integrated art into your library program? Using the arts is a strategy that captivates your students while allowing for differentiated instruction. Everyone works at his/her own pace and within his/her own skill level. I find this not only fun and innovative for me as a librarian but it also allows the students to own their learning and creativity. It’s like having several individual makerspaces. Art has long been recognized as an important part of a well-rounded education, so why not integrate art into a program and a place on the school campus that all students have access too. So today I have fun with my kindergarten students and Dr. Seuss' Fox in Socks. There time was well spent because we not only integrated art but we integrated math too! Step out of the box and have some fun with Art!

National Poetry Month

Well April is National Poetry Month, so what are you doing in your libraries to celebrate poetry? National Poetry Month is recognized and celebrated to bring awareness and appreciation to poetry across the United States. Here is a great link on 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month I began creating a "Selfie Poem" with my 3rd through 6th grade classes and they are really enjoying the process. I have included the template for the poem if you'd like to give it a try with your students. Anything that brings awareness to poetry and literacy is a great thing! Have fun!

Template for Selfie Poem

The Book With No Pictures

Fun! Fun! Fun! with The Book with no Pictures written by B.J. Novak. You might think a book with no pictures is a boring book to share with your students, but this book will keep your students laughing and wanting more. Explore different ways that you can bring this book alive for your students.

School Library Month is Coming

School Library Month is fast approaching and will be here for some of us when we return from our Spring Break. April is School Library Month and the theme for this year is Because School Libraries Empower Students. So how do you as a Paraprofessional empower your students to learn, create, and discover? With makerspaces you can give your students the opportunity to collaborate, create, and bring their own ideas to fruition. You can showcase the latest tech tools in collaboration with your classroom teachers, to help students discover innovative ways to present their classroom projects. Teen Tech Week was in March, but keep it going. The theme was Be the Source of Change; so continue to be that source for your students whether you are serving elementary, middle or high school students. Work with your teachers on essential questions. Post the question in the library and have students respond with their ideas, Think about starting a readers’ theater  group. Or simply sharing a great picture book that captivates your audience and gets them to think outside of the box and discover something “new” about themselves. Here are a few to share: Voices in the Park by: Anthony Browne, Bully by: Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and That New Animal by: Emily Jenkins. I implore you to take time to think of new and creative ways you can show off your school library. We should always be advocating for our school libraries but April is an opportunity to showcase your school library and its program. So have fun! Be innovative! And be the bridge to empowering your students.