Grand View Elementary School Library
manhattan beach unified school district
Heidi snively - library RESOURCE specialist
310/546-8022 x5404
  • Home
    • Class Visit Schedule
    • Library Policies
    • Library Map
    • Our School
    • Our School District
    • Our Education Foundation
    • GV Library on Facebook
    • About Mrs. Snively
  • News & Events
    • Readathon Spring 2023
    • New Books in the Library
    • CA Young Reader Medal
    • Monthly Highlights
  • Read-alouds
    • Mrs. Snively Reads to You
    • Read Alouds 2022-23
    • Read-Alouds 2021-22
    • Read-alouds 2020-21
    • Read-alouds 2019-20
    • Read-alouds 2018-19 Mar-Jun
    • Read-alouds 2018-19 Aug-Feb
    • Read-alouds 2017-18
    • Read-alouds 2016-17
    • Read-alouds 2015-16
    • Read-Alouds 2014-15
    • Read-Alouds 2013-14
    • Read-Alouds Archive
  • Resources
    • Encyclopedia Britannica
    • World Book Online
    • Discovery Education
    • TeachingBooks.net
    • Reading Lists
    • MBUSD Tech Resources
    • MBUSD Library Catalogs
    • County of Los Angeles Public Library
    • Redondo Beach Public Library
    • For Students
    • For Teachers
    • For Parents
    • For Library Colleagues
    • CA Dept. of Ed. School Libraries Curriculum & Instruction
    • Articles about Reading Trends and More
  • Volunteers
  • CATALOG

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

4/12/2021

 

Week of April 12, 2021 | All Grades
Celebrating National School Library Month with Who's On First

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Who's on First? With split second comedic timing Bud Abbott and Lou Costello bring their hilarious baseball routine to a new generation of delighted fans.
Script Who's on First?
Video Who's on First? (1953)
Book Video Who's on First picture book presented by NKY DIY

Bonus Video 7 into 28 Lou Costello invents CGI math (chuckle-chuckle).
Local news report Extended Costello family in the Library The Beach Reporter (5/2/13)
Local news report Lou Costello's daughter in the Library Easy Reader (4/14/10) ​

Week of April 12, 2021 | First Grade | Baseball Back in the Stands!

Picture
Picture
Playing Right Field, by Willy Welch 
​
Although he is always chosen last and sent to play in right field where there is little action, and nothing much to do but watch the dandelions grow, a young boy has his moment of fame.
Video Right Field by Willy Welch sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary 
Dodger Stadium After a year without fans, thousands will be allowed to attend the Dodgers' season opener against the Colorado Rockies on April 9.

Week of April 12, 2021 | Second Grade | Baseball in the Stands!

Picture
Picture
Batter Up Wombat, by Helen Lester
​
An Australian wombat joins the Champs baseball team, and even though he is disastrously ignorant about the game, his innate talents save everyone when a tornado suddenly strikes.
Video Find out about the wombat

Dodger Stadium After a year without fans, thousands will be allowed to attend the Dodgers' season opener against the Colorado Rockies on April 9.

Week of April 12, 2021 | Third Grade | DEAR Author Beverly Cleary 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Celebrating Author Beverly Cleary
April 12, 1916, McMinnville, Oregon - March 25, 2021, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
From Henry Huggins (1950) to Ramona's World (1999) Beverly Cleary wrote books for children, about children much like themselves. Children of today may find themselves amazed at the freedom to roam that was enjoyed by the children in Beverly's books, not unusual at the time.
Audio Excerpt Listen to actor Neil Patrick Harris read Chapter 1 of Henry Huggins.

"Quite often somebody will say, What year do your books take place? and the only answer I can give is, in childhood."

Learning to read did not come easily for young Beverly, and once she did learn, she found the stories contained in early readers to be boring, simple, and unsurprising. Then, in the third grade, on a rainy afternoon at home, she found herself enjoying reading The Dutch Twins, by Lucy Fitch Perkins about the adventures of ordinary children. The book awoke in her the joys of reading for pleasure and she began spending extra time in the public library.

"Children should learn that reading is a pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school."

By the time Beverly was in sixth grade, a teacher suggested she should become a children's author, based on essays she had written for class assignments. Beverly first worked as a children's librarian and in a bookstore before becoming a full-time writer for children. In her work as a librarian, she struggled to find books to recommend to children, books that they would have fun reading, so she decided to write children's books herself, books about characters that young readers could relate to.

"I enjoy writing for third and fourth graders most of all."

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2011 at the age of 95 she stated, "I've had an exceptionally happy career." Beverly Cleary died in a retirement home a few weeks shy of her 105th birthday. No cause of death was given.
Picture
National DEAR Day April 12 Drop Everything And Read
In 2006, to mark Beverly's 90th birthday, the American Library Association, and others set aside her birthday, April 12, as a day to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. When Beverly’s own children were young, they participated in sustained silent reading time at school, known as DEAR. Their enthusiasm for this activity inspired Beverly to give the same experience to Ramona, who gets to enjoy DEAR time with her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981), introduced in Chapter 2.
Audio Excerpt Listen to Chapter 2 of Ramona Quimby, Age 8, presented by MrsMorrisReads

Week of April 12, 2021 | Fourth Grade | Baseball Back in the Stands!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Dad, Jackie, and Me, by Myron Uhlberg
In Brooklyn, New York, in 1947, a boy learns about discrimination and tolerance as he and his deaf father share their enthusiasm over baseball and the Dodgers' first baseman, Jackie Robinson. Based on the author's experience growing up as a hearing child with deaf parents.

Video Dad, Jackie, and Me presented by Ms. Rhone 
The William Hoy Story, by Nancy Churnin
Learn about deaf baseball player William Hoy (1862-1961) and his influence on the way baseball umpires use hand signals to call the game.
​Video The William Hoy Story, presented by Mrs. St. Germain Reads
​Dodger Stadium After a year without fans, thousands will be allowed to attend the Dodgers' season opener against the Colorado Rockies on April 9.

Week of April 12, 2021 | Fifth Grade | Baseball Back in the Stands!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Brothers at Bat, by Audrey Vernick
The Acerra family of Long Branch, New Jersey, formed their own semi-pro baseball team in the 1930s and became the longest-running all-brother team in history.
Video The Brothers at Bat presented by Abby Reads
Video Watch the brothers in action 
Dodger Stadium After a year without fans, thousands will be allowed to attend the Dodgers' season opener against the Colorado Rockies on April 9.

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

3/29/2021

 

​Week of March 29, 2021 | All Grades | CYRM Vote Ends Wednesday

Picture
Picture
Picture
California Young Reader Medal Voting Closes 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 31
This annual program helps to determine the most popular books for children in the State of California.
  • Vote here in the Picture Book category (all TK-5th graders)
  • Vote here in the Picture Book for Older Readers category (all 4th-5th graders)
  • Vote here in the Intermediate Novel category (optional for 4th-5th graders who have read all three nominated novels
  • Find out about the California Young Reader Medal
  • Questions? Email hsnively@mbusd.org

​Week of March 29, 2021 | All Grades | Readathon Continues!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Shop with code GVREADS and {pages} will donate to GV!
Raising funds for Our School Library March 22 -- April 1
The Grand View PTA is a strong supporter of the school library program and has chosen it to be the beneficiary of the first time ever Grand View Readathon! Find out more

Week of March 29, 2021 | TK and Kindergarten | Canceled
Virtual Field Trip to the Manhattan Beach Public Library

Picture
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Students will take a virtual field trip to the Manhattan Beach Public Library this week.
Video Book! Book! Book! presented by Salt River Schools 
Crafty Connection Step-by-step video instructions to make cheerful paper frogs.

Week of March 29, 2021 | First Grade | Egg Drop Season

Picture
Picture
The Perfect Nest, by Catherine Friend
With hopes of making a delicious omelet, Jack builds a nest to catch a chicken, but ends up attracting more than the bird.
Read-aloud Video Mrs. Snively reads The Perfect Nest
Alternate Video See and hear this story read by Hannibal Ferret Storybooks. The reader is off camera and provides a nice close up of the book's pages for students to pause the video and read along.

STEM Egg Drop Activity First graders would have had an "egg drop" on the last Friday before Spring Break, testing out the different ways one might cushion an egg to have it land unbroken when dropped from the roof of the first grade classrooms. Ideas are here on buggyandbuddy.com/stem. ​Fresh eggs may be too scarce at the moment to drop in this way; try the experiment using an empty egg shell filled with small toys or glitter and taped together.
Activity Download and print a Humpty Dumpty coloring sheet ​

Week of March 29, 2021 | Second Grade | Celebrating Reading

Picture
Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, by Carolyn Crimi
Henry doesn't like doing pirate things.All Henry ever wants to do is read books. When their ship sinks, the other pirates learn pretty quickly what good Henry is getting from his beloved books.
Video Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies presented by Mr. Bragg's Library 
Crafty Connection Step-by-step instructions to fold an origami boat

Week of March 29, 2021 | Third Grade | Celebrating Reading

Picture
Picture
This is Not that Kind of Book, by Christopher Healy
A riotous mash-up alphabet primer features characters that represent different book genres, from fairy tales and mysteries to superhero adventures and joke books, challenging readers to keep up as the story abruptly shifts in other directions.
​Video This is Not that Kind of Book presented by Muggle Maestra 
Crafty Connection Learn about miniature books and make your own with step-by-step instructions.

Week of March 29, 2021 | Fourth Grade
Celebrating Books and the Joy of Reading

Picture
Picture
Picture
Thank You, Mr. Falker, by Patricia Polacco
The story of a girl who struggles with reading and the teacher who is determined to not let her fail.
Video Thank You, Mr. Falker presented by Storyline Online
The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore, by William Joyce
In this allegory about the curative power of story, a bibliophile learns that when we care for books, they will restore and take care of us. 
Video The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore, animated short 
Crafty Connection Learn about miniature books and make your own with step-by-step instructions.

Week of March 29, 2021 | Fifth Grade
Celebrating Books and the Joy of Reading

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Poet Langston Hughes (1902-1967)
How to Read a Book, by Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
In this partnership of text and image, reading is captured in both content and form, and hailed as the individual, creative act that it is. Not only does the book explain how to read (i.e., first find a great place to do so), it also demonstrated the elegant and emotional chaos awaiting readers. 
Two poems by Langston Hughes Let America be America Again (1936). and I, Too (1945). Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry.
Video How to Read a Book presented by the Center for Fiction.
Crafty Connection How to make a mixed-media collage with magazine cut-outs and text.

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

3/22/2021

 

Week of March 22, 2021 | All Grades | Readathon Begins!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Shop with code GVREADS and {pages} will donate to GV!
Raising funds for Our School Library March 22 -- April 1
The Grand View PTA is a strong supporter of the school library program and has chosen it to be the beneficiary of the first time ever Grand View Readathon! Find out more

Week of March 22, 2021 | All Grades  
CYRM Picture Books Conclude | Students Vote Online

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
Madeline Finn and the Library Dog, by Lisa Papp | Nominee 5 of 5
A warm, encouraging story of a young girl who is learning to read, and the special library dog who helps instill patience, acceptance, and confidence.
Video Madeline Finn and the Library Dog presented by author/illustrator Lisa Papp
A warm, encouraging story of a young girl who is learning to read, and the special library dog who helps instill patience, acceptance, and confidence.
Cultural Representation Reflection TeachingBooks.net One strategy to help students discover a broader understanding of an inclusive society is for them to see what they might not have noticed before. Through reflection, readers think about the cultural representation of characters, setting, and events in the books they read. Then they can compare, contrast, and develop a connection to their own culture while taking a deeper look at the representation of others. Sample reflection from TeachingBooks.net.
Review and Vote Students are encouraged to review the four previously presented CYRM Picture Book nominees and then vote online for their favorite. Voting closes at 8:00 p.m. on March 31.

Week of March 22, 2021 | Fourth and Fifth Grade
Vote Online for CYRM Picture Book for Older Readers

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Online Ballot for Picture Book for Older Readers Students in fourth and fifth grade vote online for their favorite by 8:00 p.m. on March 31. Review the stories, if needed.
​
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.

Week of March 22, 2021 | Fourth and Fifth Grade
Vote Online for CYRM Intermediate Novels | Optional

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Online Ballot for Intermediate Novel | Optional Students in 4th and 5th grade vote online for their favorite by 8:00 p.m. on March 31.
​
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

3/15/2021

 

Week of March 15, 2021 | All Grades | Introducing the Readathon

Picture
Picture
Picture
Raising funds for Our School Library
​March 22 -- April 1

The Grand View PTA is a strong supporter of the school library program and has chosen it to be the beneficiary of the first time ever Grand View Readathon! Find out more

Week of March 15, 2021 | TK-Third Grade
CYRM Picture Books Continue

Picture
Picture
Picture
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
After the Fall, by Dan Santat | Nominee 4 of 5
The traditional Humpty Dumpty story takes on fresh meaning in the hands of author/illustrator Dan Santat, who spotlights fear, perseverance, determination, and a growth mindset. He himself grew immensely as an illustrator after meeting author/illustrator David Shannon. Dan Santat has said this book is a love letter to his wife, who overcame anxiety and depression. See if you can spot her name scrawled on the wall.
Video After the Fall, presented by ABC Read to Me
Video Dan Santat explains how meeting David Shannon influenced his work.
Crafty Connection Fold and fly a paper airplane. Try this design or invent your own. With thanks to Cruz for the activity suggestion!

Week of March 15, 2021 | 4th/5th Gr. | CYRM Picture Books Begin!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Click to give yourself a new name
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
Poor Louie, by Tony Fucile | Nominee 1 of 5
Louie has the life every chihuahua dreams of, but when the pending arrival of a new baby upsets the balance of the family, Louie starts to wonder if there's still room for him.
Sounding Out Words We Don't Know Pronounce the author's last name. Give it a try! Few-sigh-el? Foo-seal? Then click here to listen to the surprising way the author's family says it.
Video Poor Louie presented by GeorgetownCountyLibrary.
Creative Connection If you don't know already, find out how your name was chosen and turn it into a story, real or imagined. Illustrate it simply, or in great detail. Now tuck that story away in your baby book. I promise you will treasure it when you come upon it when you are older.
Game Tired of your name? Want to be someone else? Visit babynames.com to see what your new name could be.
Picture
Picture
Get step-by-step directions
Alfie, by Thyra Heder | Nominee 2 of 5
Told for the perspective of the girl, Nia, and then the turtle, Alfie, this story describes what happens when Alfie disappears on the eve of Nia's birthday to find her a special present.

Sounding Out Words We Don't Know Pronounce the author's first and last name. Give it a try! Thigh-rah Head-er? Then click here to listen to the surprising way it is pronounced.
Video Alfie presented by Sankofa Read Aloud
Discussion We don't always realize the impact we have on another's life. Discussion prompts.
Story Extender An interview with the author.
Crafty Connection Step-by-step directions to paint a pet turtle on rocks.
Picture
After the Fall, by Dan Santat | Nominee 3 of 5
The traditional Humpty Dumpty story takes on fresh meaning in the hands of author/illustrator Dan Santat, who spotlights fear, perseverance, determination, and a growth mindset. He himself grew immensely as an illustrator after meeting author/illustrator David Shannon. Dan Santat has said this book is a love letter to his wife, who overcame anxiety and depression. See if you can spot her name scrawled on the wall.
Video After the Fall, presented by ABC Read to Me
Video Dan Santat explains how meeting David Shannon impacted his work.
Video Dan Santat explains why After the Fall is a love letter to his wife.
Crafty Connection Fold and fly a paper airplane. Try this design or invent your own.

Week of March 15, 2021 | Fourth and Fifth Grade
Vote Online CYRM Picture Book for Older Readers

Picture
Picture
Click to review
Picture
Click to review
Picture
Click to review
Online Ballot for Picture Book for Older Readers Students in fourth and fifth grade vote online for their favorite by 8:00 p.m. on March 31. Click the cover images to hear the stories again, if needed.
​
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.

Week of March 15, 2021 | Fourth and Fifth Grade
Vote Online CYRM Intermediate Novels | Optional

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Online Ballot for Intermediate Novel - Optional Students in 4th and 5th grade vote online for their favorite by 8:00 p.m. on March 31.
​
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

3/8/2021

 

Week of March 8, 2021 | TK-3rd Grade
CYRM Picture Books Continue

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Click for rock turtle step-by-step
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
Sounding Out Words We Don't Know Pronounce the author's first and last name. Give it a try! Thigh-rah Head-er? Then click here to listen to the surprising way it is pronounced.
Alfie, by Thyra Heder | Nominee 3 of 5
Told for the perspective of the girl, Nia, and then the turtle, Alfie, this story describes what happens when Alfie disappears on the eve of Nia's birthday to find her a special present.
Video Alfie presented by Sankofa Read Aloud
Discussion We don't always realize the impact we have on another's life. Discussion prompts.
Story Extender An interview with the author.
Crafty Connection Step-by-step directions to paint a pet turtle on rocks.

Week of March 8, 2021 - Fourth and Fifth Grade
CYRM Picture Books for Older Readers Conclude 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
4th and 5th graders only
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
Six Dots: a Story of Young Louis Braille, by Jen Bryant | Nominee 3 of 3
Louis Braille, blinded in childhood by an accident, was so determined to read that he invented his own alphabet. It must be noted that Louis was a child inventor who worked alone and without public support or financial backing. Living in a converted prison building and already suffering the early signs of lung disease, he managed to create a system of reading and writing for the blind that is still in use today.
Video Six Dots presented by Christine Sharrock.

Review Six Dots concludes the presentation of the three CYRM Picture Books for Older Readers nominees. Review the previously presented titles, Step Right Up and Sergeant Reckless, if needed.
Online Ballot for Picture Book for Older Readers Students in fourth and fifth grade vote online for their favorite by 8:00 p.m. on March 31.
Online Ballot for Intermediate Novel - Optional Students in 4th and 5th grade vote online for their favorite by 8:00 p.m. on March 31.

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

2/22/2021

0 Comments

 

Week of February 22, 2021 | TK-3 | CYRM Picture Books Begin!

Picture
Picture
Picture
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
The Day You Begin, by Jacqueline Woodson | Nominee 1 of 5
There will be times when we feel as if we don't fit in, and that can feel uncomfortable. When we reach out and take that first step to get to know someone else, that tiny but mighty brave spark of confidence can lead to inclusion and real friendship. Finding the courage to share your story can connect you to others.
Video The Day You Begin presented by author Jacqueline Woodson.
Making Deeper Connections Note the images of rulers in the story and discuss the way we measure ourselves and others. Interestingly, RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence found on resilienteducator.com:
  • Recognizing emotions in oneself and others
  • Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
  • Labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary
  • Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context
  • Regulating emotions with helpful strategies

Week of February 22, 2021 | Grades 4/5
CYRM Picture Books for Older Readers Begin!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
California Young Reader Medal Find out about the CYRM program.
Step Right Up, by Donna Janell Bowman | Nominee 1 of 3

A biography of William "Doc" Key (1833-1909), a former slave and self-trained veterinarian who taught his horse, Beautiful Jim Key (1889-1912), to read, write, and do math, and who helped teach the world to treat animals kindly. A movie of this incredible story is currently in development with actor Morgan Freeman slated to portray William Key.
Video Step Right Up presented by NSD Library Videos.
Video Illustrator Daniel Minter demonstrates his woodblock technique and explains why he never shows the horse with a bit in his mouth or a saddle on his body.
Take the Pledge Choose kindness and respect the needs and feelings of others.

Making Deeper Connections Publisher's teaching guide.
0 Comments

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

2/1/2021

 

Week of February 2, 2021 - TK & Kindergarten - 100th Day of School

Picture
Picture
Picture
The Very Kind Rich Lady and Her One Hundred Dogs, by Chinlun Lee
The very kind rich lady cares for 100 lucky dogs!
Video Zero the Hero by Joan Holub book trailer  
He's not a Froot Loop, a bagel or a doughnut... he's Zero the Hero!
Video How Krispy Kreme doughnuts are made 
Speaking of doughnuts, let's find out how doughnuts are made at Krispy Kreme.
Video Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller read by Chris O'Dowd 
Arnie much more than an average doughnut, round, iced and deliciously sprinkled.

Activity Dog name coloring sheet

Week of February 1, 2021 - First Grade
Black History is American History | The Kindness Project

Picture
Picture
Picture
Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story, by Ruby Bridges
In 1960 Ruby Bridges (born September 8, 1954) became a pioneer in school integration at the age of six, when she was chosen to spend her first-grade year in what had formerly been an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Video Ruby Bridges read by Sankofa
Video Segment First Day of School Discovery Education Streaming Video (password protected)
What was it like for young Ruby that first day? Ruby speaks about the angry crowds she saw, a US Marshall talks about Ruby's bravery, and her teacher speaks about the anger of the crowds outside.
School Kindness Garden Students are encouraged to bring a hand-painted rock to the Rock Garden by the front office. Here are some ideas for messages of kindness and encouragement.

​Coloring Sheet Have courage and be kind

Week of February 1, 2021 - Second Grade
​Black History is American History | The Kindness Project

Picture
Picture
Picture
Rosa Parks, by Lisbeth Kaiser
​
A brief biography of Rosa Parks (1913-2005), civil rights activist.
Rosa Parks Rosa Parks, read by Read Aloud for Kids

Video Segment Rosa Parks Discovery Education Streaming Video (password protected)
Identifies civil rights activist Rosa Parks and describes her role in the movement.

School Kindness Garden Students are encouraged to bring a hand-painted rock to the Rock Garden by the front office. Here are some ideas for messages of kindness and encouragement.
​Coloring Sheet Have courage and be kind

Week of February 1, 2021 - Third Grade
Black History is American History | The Kindness Project

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
White Socks Only, by Evelyn Coleman
Grandma tells the story about her first trip alone into town during the days when segregation still existed in Mississippi, and how her naive assumption about a sign earned her a whipping from an angry man.
Video White Socks Only read by Amber Rose Tamblyn

The Other Side, by Jacqueline Woodson
Though a literal and figurative fence segregates a town, two girls find a way to overcome the separation and become playmates at the dawn of the Civil Rights Era.
Video The Other Side read by Katherine Detrick

School Kindness Garden Students are encouraged to bring a hand-painted rock to the Rock Garden by the front office. Here are some ideas for messages of kindness and encouragement.
​Coloring Sheet Have courage and be kind

Week of February 1, 2021 - Fourth Grade 
​Black History is American History | The Kindness Project

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Light in the Darkness, by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Risking a whipping if they are discovered, Rosa and her mama sneak away from their slave quarters during the night to a hidden location in a field where they learn to read and write in a pit school.

Words Set Me Free, by Lesa Cline-Ransome
​
A biography of the early life of Frederick Douglass, one of the first leaders of the antislavery movement. Discusses how he spent his childhood as a slave on a plantation, was sold at the age of eight to Hugh and Sophia Auld in Baltimore, and explains that learning to read was the key to his freedom.
Video Words Set Me Free read by Sankofa Read Aloud 
Video Past Present: Giving Stories New Life (running time approx. 3 min.)
An interview with author Lesa Cline-Ransome.

School Kindness Garden Students are encouraged to bring a hand-painted rock to the Rock Garden by the front office. Here are some ideas for messages of kindness and encouragement.
​Coloring Sheet Have courage and be kind

Week of February 1, 2021 - Fifth Grade
Black History is American History | The Kindness Project

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Henry's Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine
A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave (c1815-1897) escaped to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate to Philadelphia.
Video Henry's Freedom Box ready by The Teacher's Library
Henry Climbs a Mountain, by D.B. Johnson

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), refused to pay taxes to a state that allowed slavery and was arrested in 1846. The endnote explains that Thoreau assisted slaves in fleeing to Canada, and that both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were inspired by Thoreau's writings about peaceful civil disobedience.
Video Henry Climbs a Mountain read by Rev. Kelly 

Video Woolworth's Lunch Counter Sit-Ins Civil Rights activists Joseph McNeil, Diane Nash, and John Lewis reflect on the history and legacy of the lunch counter from the F.W. Woolworth department store in North Carolina, and the sit-in campaign that began on February 1, 1960, Their peaceful protest inspired other people to organize throughout the south.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, by Andrea Davis Pinkney
​
Four young men who followed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words of peaceful protest and dared to sit at a "whites only" lunch counter.
Video Sit-In read by Grace Bolin
Video Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney discuss creating Sin-In 
​
School Kindness Garden Students are encouraged to bring a hand-painted rock to the Rock Garden by the front office. Here are some ideas for messages of kindness and encouragement.
Coloring Sheet Have courage and be kind

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

11/9/2020

0 Comments

 

Week of November 9, 2020 - TK and Kindergarten
​Picture Book Month and Seasonal Veggie Silliness

Picture
Picture
I Yam a Donkey! by Cece Bell
A stern yam corrects a grammatically-challenged donkey.
Video Because TK and Kindergarten miss library this week due to the Veterans Day Holiday, students can enjoy this reading of I Yam a Donkey presented by Mr. Shawn's Storytime.
Crafty Connection Draw a yam bookmark on orange construction paper.

Week of November 9, 2020 - First Grade
Picture Book Month and Feasting Season Silliness

Picture
Picture
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse, by Mac Barnett
​
When a mouse is swallowed by a wolf, he learns that a duck devoured earlier has set up a table to enjoy the food the gluttonous predator eats.
Crafty Connection Rainbow food choices coloring sheet

Week of November 9, 2020 - Second Grade
​Picture Book Month and National Monuments

Picture
Picture
Video Washington, D.C., tour 
One More Acorn, by Don Freeman
​
As winter nears, Earl the Squirrel searches for the acorns he stashed in the parks of Washington, D.C. Iconic author/illustrator Don Freeman began this story in 1963. His son completed it with help from an illustrator almost 50 years later.
Crafty Connection Make leaf rubbings on the reverse of the Find the Alligator coloring sheet.

Week of November 9, 2020 - Third Grade
​Picture Book Month - Curriculum Connection to Mystery Fiction

Picture
Picture
Picture
Who is the Mystery Reader? by Mo Willems
Zoom Squirrel and his pals practice a new superpower while trying to discover the identity of an enigmatic Mystery Reader. 
Private I. Guana: the Case of the Missing Chameleon, by Nina Laden
A detective is hired to search the forest for a missing chameleon.
Video Read by actor Esai Morales presented by Storyline Online. 

Week of November 9, 2020 - Fourth Grade
Picture Book Month - Curriculum Connection to Reading Nonfiction

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Odd Boy Out, by Don Brown
Albert was a peculiar baby with a big head. When he was older he hit his sister, bothered his teachers, and didn't have many friends. In the midst of all this, he was fascinated with solving puzzles and scientific problems. The ideas Albert Einstein (1879-1955) came up with during his childhood as an odd boy were destined to change what we understand about the world around us.
Video N Is a Number: a Portrait of Paul Erdos (trailer)

The Boy Who Loved Math, by Deborah Heiligman
At the age of four Paul Erdos (1913-1996) could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty!
Website A Magical Answer to an 80-Year-Old Puzzle. Terence Tao, now a math professor at UCLA, was a youngster when he met Erdos.
Having an Erdos Number Paul Erdos published papers with 507 coauthors. In the mathematics community those 507 people have the coveted distinction of having an Erdos number of 1, meaning that they wrote a paper with Erdos himself. Someone who published a paper with one of his coauthors is said to have an Erdos number of 2, and an Erdos number of 3 means that someone wrote a paper with someone who wrote a paper with someone who worked with Erdos. Albert Einstein’s Erdos number was 2. The highest known Erdos number is 15; this excludes non mathematicians, who all have an Erdos number of infinity.
Website Paul Erdos International Math Challenge
At Home Activity Tessellation art with worksheet and video demonstration.

Week of November 9, 2020 - Fifth Grade
Picture Book Month and the Power of Self, the Power of Unity

Picture
Picture
Picture
I Talk Like a River, by Scott Jordan
When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice.
Video Thirteen-year-old Brayden Harrington speaks out about stuttering on NBC News

Unstoppable, by Adam Rex
​When a bird and a crab team up to combine the advantages of flight and claws, it gives them an idea: why not expand the team to include other animals who have a special trait--and soon they all set out to rescue their lake from development, because united together they are unstoppable.
0 Comments

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

9/28/2020

0 Comments

 

​Week of September 28, 2020 - TK - Apples

Picture
Picture
Little Mouse's Big Secret, by Eric Battut
Little Mouse has found a delicious-looking apple and doesn't want to share a bite. So he buries it, and no matter how many of his friends ask what he hid, Little Mouse won't tell.  But when a tree sprouts from the seeds of the fruit, there are enough apples for everyone-and Little Mouse realizes some secrets are even better when they're shared. Read by Hines Creek Municipal Library.
One Red Apple, by Harriet Ziefert
Chronicles the life cycle of an apple: from fruit growing on the tree, to market, to picnic, to seed, to sapling and tree, and finally to a new apple. A joyful introduction to the amazing and delectable way the earth provides food.
Ten Apples Up On Top, by Dr. Seuss writing as Theo. LeSieg
Lion, Tiger, and Dog are balancing ten apples on their heads when two cranky bears chase them.
Crafty Connection Apple tree color by number

​Week of September 28, 2020 - Kindergarten - Apples

Picture
Our Apple Tree, by Gorel Kristina Naslund
A whimsical look at the life cycle of the apple tree. Two sprites guide the tree from spring, when the apple tree blossoms, through summer, when the fruit grows, to fall and the harvest. ​​
Crafty Connection Apple tree color by number

​Week of September 28, 2020 - First Grade - Apples

Picture
The Apple Doll, by Elisa Kleven
​
Lizzy's best friend in all seasons is her apple tree. When school starts, Lizzy sees how her apple tree can help her overcome her shyness and make new friends.
Crafty Connection Apple doll instructions

​Week of September 28, 2020 - Second Grade - Apples

Picture
Picture
Coloring sheet and applesauce recipe
Applesauce Season, by Eden Ross Lipson
Describes a family's applesauce-making ritual: the buying, peeling, cooking and stirring; the wait for the sauce to cool and the first taste.
Crafty Connection Coloring Sheet and applesauce recipe 

Week of September 28, 2020 - Third Grade - Reading for Information

Picture
Picture
Video plant a bee garden
Picture
Honeybee cookie recipe
Give Bees a Chance, by Bethany Barton
Besides making yummy honey, they help plants grow fruits and vegetables.
Video Plant a bee friendly garden
Crafty Connection Bake honeybee cookies

Week of September 28, 2020 - Fourth Grade
Water... Apples... and the Ripple Effect

Picture
Picture
Picture
Water Is Water, by Miranda Paul
Highlights the various forms water takes throughout the year including autumn fog and rain, frozen ponds and falling snow, steam from cups of cocoa, and snow melt turning dirt to mud.
One Green Apple, by Eve Bunting
It's hard to be the new kid in school, especially when you're from another country and don't know the language. But a field trip to an apple orchard helps Farah feel connected. 
Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson
What if you're cruel to someone and never get the chance to make it right? This deeply personal story takes us full circle back to water. As a lake is rippled when a stone is tossed, a cruelty has repercussions than can never be undone. ​
​Grant Opportunity Deadline 10/1 MBEF Clinton Family Social Inclusion Grant Application

​Week of September 28, 2020 - Fifth Grade - Banned Books Week

Picture
Picture
Video "Parthenon" of banned books
Picture
Picture
A Book Worth Banning Is a Book Worth Reading
A list of several titles that have been banned or challenged.
Video Puppet Book Banners
A brief discussion about why the American Library Association supports and celebrates the freedom to read.
Video "Parthenon" of banned books

Little Red Riding Hood, retold by Trina Schart Hyman
This adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood landed on the naughty list, though the illustrations merited a Caldecott Honor (1984).
Wolf in the Snow, by Matthew Cordell
When a wolf cub and a little girl are lost in a storm, kindness and cooperation save them. In the end, it's all about keeping an open mind.

Grant Opportunity Deadline 10/1 MBEF Clinton Family Social Inclusion Grant Application
0 Comments

Read-alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

9/21/2020

1 Comment

 

Week of September 21, 2020 - TK - Having Grit & Fun with Numbers

Picture
Click image to sing along with Pete
Picture
Click image for read-aloud
Picture
Click image for recipes
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin
​
Pete the cat loves the buttons on his shirt so much that he makes up a song about them, and even as the buttons pop off, one by one, he still finds a reason to sing.

Video Pete sings his song 
Crafty Connection Print this Pete the Cat color by number 
Is That Wise, Pig? by Jan Thomas
Mouse and Cow are making soup, but Pig keeps trying to add strange ingredients.
Video Is That Wise, Pig? read by Story Time Pals 
Activity Connection Cooking with children (safety first!) is a great way to reinforce independence, math, science, language skills, and more. Try these No Bake Kids' Recipes: mud pie, pineapple bagel spread, cinnamon pears, pumpkin pie, and more!

​Week of September 21, 2020 - Kindergarten - Fall Leaves

Picture
Picture
Picture
Click image for directions
Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall
When fall comes, two brothers enjoy catching the falling leaves, stomping on them, kicking them, jumping in piles of them, and using them to make pictures. Includes a description of how leaves change through the year.
Fall Is Not Easy, by Marty Kelley
​
With new expectations to be met, fall can be a tough season for a lot of us.
Crafty Connection Transform ordinary leaves found in the yard into colorful nature collages. Directions.

Week of September 21, 2020 - First Grade - Books and Reading

Picture
Click image for coloring sheet
Picture
Picture
Make a book-nibbling bookmark
I Am a Story, by Dan Yaccarino
A celebration of the art of storytelling traces how it has evolved from cave paintings and the invention of the printing press to the digital technologies that inform and unite today's diverse world. Sharp eyes will take note of the starry transition from cave people to contemporary folk as astrological signs reappear as constellations, with a tiny red bird on each page to remind us that stories give flight to our imagination.
Crafty Connection Tiny Birds coloring sheet ​
I Don't Like to Read, by Nancy Carlson
Henry the mouse likes everything about first grade except reading, but with some extra help at school and home, he is delightfully surprised.
Connection Read a book, of course :)
Nibbles the Book Monster, by Emma Yarlett
​
Nibbles the Monster enjoys books a little too much!
Crafty Connection Make a book nibbling bookmark. Directions.

Week of September 21, 2020 - Second Grade - Empathy

Picture
Picture
Empathy is defined as the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, or emotions of someone else. An example of empathy is feeling the same amount of excitement as a friend, when they tell you they are getting a puppy or a kitten.
Video Sesame Street: actor Mark Ruffalo and Murray help explain the feeling of empathy.
A Letter to My Teacher, by Deborah Hopkinson
Written as a thank you note to a cherished teacher, the ending brings the love of learning and teaching full circle. 
Discuss Do you think the new teacher will be able to feel empathy for her students when things don't go quite right for them? How might having empathy affect our relationships at home or at school?

Draw and Write Students draw a picture of themselves with their teacher and write a note including a personality trait that they know their teacher will enjoy, and a behavior that they hope to improve during second grade. Show it to your teacher on your next Zoom.

Week of September 21, 2020 - Third Grade - Welcome Fall

Picture
Picture
Picture
Click image for directions
Green on Green, by Dianne White
The animals, fruits, feelings, and colors that characterize each season of the year.
​Lawrence in the Fall, by Matthew Farina

Lawrence the fox accompanies his father into the forest to collect something to take to his school show-and-tell, and encounters the beauty of nature and finds exactly what he needs.
​
Video Why Do Leaves Change Color?
​Leaves, by David Ezra Stein
A bear who has never experienced autumn before is puzzled by the falling leaves, unsure whether he should try to put them back or use them as a bed for a nap. Read by Michael DeJohn
Crafty Connection Transform ordinary leaves found in the yard into colorful nature collages. Directions.

Week of September 21, 2020 - Fourth and Fifth Grade
​California Young Reader Medal Intermediate Novel Nominees

Picture
Picture
Picture
Introducing the CYRM Intermediate Novel Nominees Students in 4th and 5th grade are invited to participate in deciding the most popular fiction novel in California by reading all three CYRM novels and voting for their favorite by June 1. General vote info. Specific Grand View vote info to come. More about the CYRM. Questions? Email Mrs. Snively at hsnively@mbusd.org.
Picture
Click image for book trailer
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, by Karina Yan Glaser
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home. First in a series, fans of The Penderwicks will love getting to know Harlem's favorite family. A story of confrontation and understanding just right for our troubled times.
Video Book trailer at teachingbooks.net
Picture
Click image for book trailer
Save Me a Seat, by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Meet Ravi, who has just moved to the United States from India, where he has always been at the top of his class. Meet Joe, who has lived in the same New Jersey town his whole life, and lives with learning difficulties. Two fifth grade boys born worlds apart and so different from one another --how could they ever be friends? They are united by a common enemy, Dillon Samreen, the class bully. Dillon is Indian American and Ravi oh so wrongly assumes their shared heritage means they will be friends. This story about fitting in and overcoming obstacles features two points of view that will be a hit with fans of Wonder, by R.J. Palacios. 
Video Book trailer at teachingbooks.net
Picture
Click image for book trailer
Restart, by Gordon Korman
Chase's memory just went out the window. He doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again, starting with his own name. When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. Pretty soon Chase realizes it's not only a question of who he is, it's a question of who he was, and who he's going to be.
Video Book trailer at teachingbooks.net
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark, by Debbie Levy
​As a child in Brooklyn, Ruth learned the importance of a powerful dissent. Her mother objected to the notion that girls shouldn't get an education. Ruth objected to the discrimination facing her Jewish family. In school, she objected to having to take sewing and cooking classes (but still had to), and in college, she objected to the notion that, as a woman, she couldn't pursue a law career. Dissent is the through line woven into this picture-book biography of Justice Ginsburg, and it's a tidy way to demonstrate how her fearless objections to the unfair status quo not only led the way to her career as a Supreme Court justice but also contributed to dismantling many of those discriminatory laws that prevented equal treatment. 
Video I Dissent presented by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

1 Comment
<<Previous

    MBUSD begins the 2020-21 school year with 100% distance learning.

    During the time we are apart classes will receive weekly library content via Zoom. Colleagues are welcome to borrow ideas. ​

    MBUSD completes the 2020-21 school year in Phase 5 of our 5-phase plan to reopen our schools.

    Phase 1 - 9/16/20 preschool aged childcare and EDP
    Phase 1 - 9/29/20 MCHS sports training
    Phase 2 - 10/12/20 high need hybrid
    Phase 3 - 12/8/20 grades TK-2 hybrid
    Phase 3 - 3/1/21 grades 3-5 hybrid
    Phase 4 - 3/8/21 grade 6 hybrid
    Phase 5 - 4/19/21 5 days a week in-person learning for grades TK-12 students who select in-person

    Mrs. Snively Reads
    to You

    Picture
    Videos of Mrs. Snively reading aloud

    Library Program

    Our students enjoy weekly visits for a presentation crafted to instill a love of reading, to enhance
    Common Core classroom lessons, and to inspire life-long learning. Visits include checking out materials, practicing information literacy, and exercising digital citizenship.

    California Model School Library Standards Read Aloud 15 Minutes. Every Child. Every Parent. Every Day See why it matters at readaloud.org

    What Mrs. Snively is reading right now

    Picture
    Picture

    Mrs. Snively reads adult books, too

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020

    Categories

    All
    100th Day
    AAPI Heritage
    Apples
    Back To School
    Banned Books
    Baseball
    Bees
    Beloved Older Books
    Black History
    Books And Reading
    Caldecott Award
    California
    CA Young Reader Medal
    Children's Book Week
    Christmas
    Coretta Scott King
    Earth Day
    Elections
    Empathy
    Fairy Tales
    Fall
    Friendship
    Gator Good
    Halloween
    Hanukkah
    Insects
    Kindness
    Martin Luther King
    Memorial Day
    Monsters
    Multiculturalism
    Narrative Nonfiction
    Newbery Award
    Parody
    Pet Month
    Poetry Month
    Responsibility
    Screen Time Awareness
    September 11
    Social Emotional Wellness
    Social Justice
    Spiders
    Summer Reading
    Thanksgiving
    Ugly Ducklings
    Valentine's Day
    Veterans Day

    RSS Feed