Grand View Elementary School Library
manhattan beach unified school district
Heidi snively - library RESOURCE specialist
310/546-8022 x5404
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Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

6/9/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of June 9, 2025 | Class Visits Have Ended for all Grades

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Great Gators Are Great Readers!
This school year, more that 22,000 library books were checked out, that's about 2,000 more than last year!

Visitor Stats
Besides coming once a week for their class visit, many students visited before school, after school, and during their recess time.
  • Morning visits (open for all grades): approx. 1,800
  • First recess (2nd and 3rd graders): approx. 2,700
  • Lunch recess (4th and 5th graders): approx. 4,500
  • After school visits (open for all grades with parent/caregiver supervision): approx. 200

Top Patrons
TK and Kindergarten students check out one book per week which remains in the class. Students in grades 1-5 may borrow as many books at a time that equals their grade level, i.e., 1st graders one book at a time, 2nd graders two books at a time, etc. Here are the top library patrons in grades 1-5:
  • 1st grade (Amble): Olivia J. 68 books
  • 2nd grade (Glassman): Jace L. 116 books
  • 3rd grade (Borah): Lucas C. 103 books
  • 4th grade (Fairbrother): Dash D. 334 books
  • 5th grade (Kinzer): Yahm H. 118 books
Olivia, Jace, Lucas, Dash, and Yahm are invited to stop by to choose a book from "the stash" to keep.

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

6/2/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of June 2, 2025 | TK | Vacation Plans

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Goldfish on Vacation, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Three goldfish live in a small bowl, in an apartment building, in the middle of a big city, until one summer they get to go on vacation--in a fountain, with lily pads, and reeds, and other neighborhood goldfish. Based on true events in New York City.

The real Hamilton Fountain in New York City Named after Robert Ray Hamilton (1850-1890), the great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton. He gave the fountain as a place for city horses to have a drink. Located at Riverside Drive and 76th Street.

And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner

This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

Crafty Connection Goldfish coloring sheet and/or trace handprint onto a paper plate, color it like a goldfish and add plant shapes, sand, and other embellishments (see example above).

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Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Week of June 2, 2025 | Kindergarten | Escape with Summer Reading

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Inky's Amazing Escape, by Sy Montgomery
When an octopus is whisked away to captivity in an aquarium, he manages to escape by squeezing out of his tank, sliding through the aquarium, and back out to sea, Based upon the 2016 escape from the New Zealand National Aquarium by an octopus named Inky.

And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner
This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

Crafty Connection Draw Inky

Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Week of June 2, 2025 | First Grade | Happy Ends & Summer Reading

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The Three Little Gators, by Helen Ketteman
An adaptation of the traditional folktale in which three little gators each build a house in an east Texas swamp, hoping for protection from the Big-bottomed Boar.
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Noodleheads See the Future, by Tedd Arnold
Inspired by folktales about fools from around the world, brothers Mac and Mac Noodlehead exasperate Uncle Ziti, are fooled by their friend Meatball, and make a garden for their mother.


And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner
This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

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Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

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Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Week of June 2, 2025 | Second Grade | Joys of Summer Reading
Enjoy Your Public Library... Learn Facts and Have Fun with Books

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The Man Who Loved Libraries, by Andrew Larsen
Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 and emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1848. Helping to support his family, Carnegie worked in a cotton mill. Later he became a messenger boy and then a telegraph operator. Always a hard worker, Carnegie saved and invested his earnings. By age 35 he was a very rich man, and over his lifetime was able to fulfill his lifelong desire to give away half a billion dollars. Much of the money went to the building of more than 2,500 public libraries around the world. His philanthropy revolutionized public libraries, which were not widespread at that time.

Video The Man Who Loved Libraries, an introduction by author Andrew Larsen

Do Not Lick This Book (It's Full of Germs), by Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost
Everything is full of germs, from your socks to the top of Mount Everest. The tour concludes with more formal introductions and profiles for E. coli, Streptococcus, and more. Science at its best: informative and gross.

I Just Ate My Friend, by Heidi McKinnon
Having eaten his only friend, a monster seeks a new companion but each creature he meets has a good reason not to serve as a replacement. We've all been there.

And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner
This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

​Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

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Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Week of June 2 | Third Grade | Summertime Joys

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The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's, by Patrick McDonnell
A little red cat runs away from home and begins an alphabetical adventure. Because of its (nearly) wordless nature, readers can make up their own stories while also hunting for what represents the letter on the page. Although some are obvious, in some illustrations, there may be multiple answers, providing a great opportunity for vocabulary building.

My Pet Wants a Pet, by Elise Broach
A child's mother, reluctant to allow even one pet in the family, is increasingly unhappy as each new pet wants a pet of its own.

And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner
This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

Summer Is for Cousins, by Rajanni LaRocca
Ravi can't wait to spend summer vacation at the lake house with his family--especially his cousins! Summer vacation is for days at the beach, long hikes, paddleboarding, and--of course--ice cream. Ravi and his oldest cousin, Dhruv, used to share a special bond, will it still hold?


​Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

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Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Week of June 2, 2025 | Fourth Grade | Beach Day Shenanigans

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And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner
This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

Jules vs the Ocean, by Jessie Sima
Determined to build the biggest, fanciest, most excellent sandcastle to impress her sister, Jules is foiled again and again by the ocean.

Smug Seagull, by Maddie Frost
A seagull that loves swiping beach-goers' snacks gets a taste of his own medicine from a patient crab.

Surf's Up, by Kwame Alexander
Two frogs have different ideas how to spend the day at the beach.

Dude: Fun with Dude and Betty, by Lisa Pliscou
Spend a totally righteous non-bogus day with Dude and Betty and their rad dog Bud.


​Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

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Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Week of June 2 | Fifth Grade | Making a Difference Out There

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Something, Someday, by Amanda Gorman
Even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact on the world's biggest problems.

Pa, Me, and the Sidewalk Pantry, by Tony Buzzeo
Together, Pa and Jelly Bean build a sidewalk pantry right next to the sidewalk library. They get donations from neighbors who have a lot to give, and leave the doors open for those who may not have enough.

Wangari's Trees of Peace, by Jeanette Winter
The story of Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Prize-winning environmentalist who, shocked to see entire forests being cut down in her native country of Kenya, decides to take action, beginning with the planting of nine seedlings in her own backyard.

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Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

​
Retirement Announcement
It is with a bittersweet heart that I write to say I will retire from my job at the Grand View library at the end of this school year. For more than a quarter of a century, it has been my honor and privilege to bring the joy of reading and the love of lifelong learning to so many children. I have cherished the opportunity to be a part of their educational journey. Read more...

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

5/26/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of May 26, 2025 | TK and K | ABCs and Sing-Along Songs

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ABC Disney, by Robert Sabuda
Paper engineering wizardry reveal a pop-up Disney character for each letter of the alphabet.

If Rocks Could Sing: a Discovered Alphabet, by Leslie McGurk
A nature-inspired alphabet book features unique rocks found on a stretch of beach by the author's home that are presented in the shapes of letters, numbers and alphabetical figures.

Down by the Bay, by Raffi 
A sing-along for all to enjoy, plus I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas

​Week of May 26, 2025 | First Grade | Puppy Fun

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Videos Cuteness overload French bulldogs and toy poodles 

Gaston, by Kelly DiPucchio
A proper bulldog raised in a poodle family and a tough poodle raised in a bulldog family meet one day in the park.

Antoinette, by Kelly DiPucchio
Raised in a family of talented bulldogs, Antoinette the poodle wonders what makes her special. She gets the chance to prove herself and find what she's good at when puppy Ooh-La-La goes missing.


Crafty Connection Color and cut out dog ears to attach to hair with tape

Week of May 26, 2025 | Second Grade | Joy of Reading

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The Potato King, by Christoph Niemann
A bit of reverse psychology employed by King Frederick the Great of Prussia helped make the potato the fourth largest food crop in the world today. 

Legend of Spud Murphy, by Eoin Colfer When their mother drops them off at the library several afternoons a week, nine-year-old William and his brother dread the overbearing librarian, but are surprised at what they discover. Conclusion: chapters 4 and 5

Video The Potato Song It is so nice, we play it twice!

At-Home Crafty Connection Video directions to make an owl using a potato stamp at home or create in the library using crayons and markers: play video to second 0:08 so students may copy the picture.

Week of May 26, 2025 | Third Grade | Joys of Summer Reading

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My Brother Louis Measures Worms and Other Louis Stories, by Barbara Robinson
Mary Elizabeth relates the humorous misadventures of her brother Louis in this collection of short stories. This week: The Adoption of Albert

At-Home Connection Paint with coffee

Week of May 26, 2025 | Fourth Grade | Kindness Goes Around Again

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Video Kid President explains how to change the world with kindness 

How to Heal a Broken Wing, by Bob Graham
When Will finds a bird with a broken wing, he takes it home and cares for it, hoping in time it will be able to return to the sky.

Alex the Parrot, by Stephanie Spinner
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The story of an African grey parrot named Alex (1976-2007) whose intelligence changed the way scientists view the brain. 
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Video Scientist Irene Pepperberg and Alex

Video Actions have consequences: PBJ machine 

Week of May 26, 2025 | Fifth Grade | Summer Reading at MBMS

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And Then Comes Summer, by Tom Brenner
This bright, nostalgic and lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who's ever counted down the days until school gets out.

​Summer Reading MBUSD reading lists

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Deep Doodles
What do your drawings reveal about your character and your personality? Students will draw a few doodles and find out what they may represent.

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

5/19/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of May 19, 2025 | TK | Kindness Week Spotlight on Sharing

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This Is MY Fort! by Drew Daywalt
Monkey and Cake are normally good friends, but today Cake is building a no-Monkey fort--until Monkey teaches him a lesson about being alone and he realizes that forts (and other things) are much better when they are shared.

How to Share with a Bear, by Erik Pinder
Thomas builds a cave of pillows and blankets where he can read, but when he goes to get a flashlight, a young "bear" goes inside and nothing Thomas does discourages the bear from being near him.
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Crafty Connection Craft a brown bag bear puppet using paint and cut-out shapes, or simplify by using markers instead.

Week of May 19, 2025 | Kindergarten | Cats and Kindness

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Lost Cat, by C. Roger Mader
Slipper the cat is mistakenly left behind in the commotion when the lady she has always lived with moves in with her daughter's family, so Slipper sets out to find someone new to adopt. 

The Cat Who Lost His Purr, by Michele Coxon

Bootle the cat searches inside and outside for his lost purr and only retrieves it when his owners return.

I Like Your Buttons! by Sarah Lamstein
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When a little girl compliments her teacher it starts a chain reaction of goodwill, good deeds, and thoughtfulness throughout the day.

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month Click for info 

Crafty Connection Create a bracelet made with buttons and pipe cleaners.

Week of May 19, 2025 | First Grade | Cats and Kindness

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​Horatio, by Eleanor Clymer
Horatio, the cat, is quite disgruntled when his owner starts to bring other pets into the house. He runs away to get some peace but finds his troubles just beginning.

Kitten and the Night Watchman, by John Sullivan
As he makes his rounds, a night watchman hears birds calling, insects buzzing, and vehicles roaring by, while a stray kitten keeps him company.

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month Click for info 

Crafty Connection Draw Horatio step-by-step from the book cover

Week of May 19, 2025 | Second Grade | What Is Kindness?

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Be Kind, by Pat Zietlow Miller
Explores what a child can do to be kind, and how each act, big or small, can make a difference or at least help a friend. Presented by Reading Robin (play video from minute 0:36-3:40) 

Legend of Spud Murphy, by Eoin Colfer
When their mother drops them off at the library several afternoons a week, nine-year-old William and his brother dread the overbearing librarian, but are surprised at what they discover. Chapter 3 of 5.
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Crafty Connection Step-by-step directions to draw and color a swimming pool 
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Week of May 19, 2025 | Third Grade | What Kindness Looks Like

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My Brother Louis Measures Worms and Other Louis Stories, by Barbara Robinson
Mary Elizabeth relates the humorous misadventures of her brother Louis in this collection of short stories featuring two very responsible children who somehow find themselves at the center of chaos.
​This week Louis at the Wheel part 2 of 2.

The Rabbit Listened, by Cori Doerrfeld
When a child's block castle is destroyed, all the animals think they know just what to do, but the rabbit knows what the boy needs is someone to just listen.

Video OK Go This Too Shall Pass

Week of May 19, 2025 | Fourth Grade | Kindness & Memorial Day

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Tucky Jo and Little Heart, by Patricia Polacco
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A fifteen-year-old soldier in World War II meets a sweet young girl in the Philippines who helps him remember what he is fighting for as he helps her and others of her village avoid starvation. Many years later she returns his kindness. Part 2 of 2.

At-Home Crafty Connection How to make a friendship bracelet from candy wrappers

​The Cat Man of Aleppo, by Irene Latham
​In the midst of the ongoing Syrian Civil War which began in 2011, Alaa takes care of Aleppo's abandoned cats.

June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month Click for info

Week of May 19, 2025 | Fifth Grade | Kindness & Memorial Day |
Curriculum Connection: Fantasy Writing Assignment

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Nobuo Fujita with family sword presented to Brookings, Oregon
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Nobuo Fujita (1911-1997)
30 Minutes Over Oregon :  a Japanese Pilot's World War II Story, by Marc Tyler Nobleman
After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. retaliated with a bombing raid on Tokyo. Japan then sent Nobuo Fujita to fire bomb the woods of Oregon. Nobuo dropped the bombs near Brookings, but they were ineffective due to the wetness of the woods. After the war Nobuo resumed civilian life with his family but lived with guilt over his wartime actions. In 1962 Brookings invited the Japanese bomber to their Memorial Day festival to extend forgiveness and to work toward peaceful international relationships
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The Van Gogh Cafe, by Cynthia Rylant (part 2 of 2)
The cafe has magic in its walls, causing strange and mysterious events to occur there. A small bit of that magic found its way into the Grand View Library one year, and has lived there ever since. One example is the cafe's theme song, and how Mrs. Snively learned it was sung by Dinah Shore. This week, students will learn how that came to be, as well as learning what is the Dav Pilkey connection.

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

5/12/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of May 12, 2025 | TK | Insects

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Big Bug, by Henry Cole
In this concept book that introduces the idea of scale, various objects are revealed as being big and small in comparison with other objects on a farm under the big, big sky.

Hank's Big Day, by Evan Kuhlman
Hank the pill bug leads a busy life nibbling dead leaves, climbing long sticks, avoiding skateboarders, and playing pretend with his best friend.


Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, by David Soman and Jacky Davis
Lulu and Sam know how to include some new friends when they play Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, saving the playground from hairy monsters and big mean robots.

Crafty Connection Students create their own picture book with a prepared red, yellow and black construction paper booklet

Week of May 12, 2025 | Kindergarten | Curriculum Connection Frogs

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Froggy Fable, by John Lechner
A little frog is upset when his simple life is changed by such things as other animals moving in nearby, but during an unexpected adventure away from the pond he learns that change can be good, after all.

I Don't Want to Be a Frog, by Dev Petty
A frog who yearns to be any animal that is cute and warm discovers that being wet, slimy, and full of bugs has its advantages.

Frog on a Log? (also published as Oi, Frog), by Kes Gray
n rhyming text, cat explains why frog has to sit on a log, even if he finds it uncomfortable.
Froggy dot-to-dot and frog song to sing

Crafty Connection Froggy dot-to-dot and frog song to sing​

Week of May 12, 2025 | First Grade | A World of Worms

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Worm Gets a Job, by Kathy Caple
Worm attempts various jobs for his animal friends so that he can buy painting supplies and enter the art contest.

I Can Only Draw Worms, by Will Mabbitt
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Teaches the reader to count to ten using worms that have great adventures or everyday experiences, described but not illustrated due to the author/illustrator's inability to draw anything but worms.
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Video I Can Only Draw Worms (abridged)  presented by Puffin Books (running time 1:58)
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Crafty Connection Students cut out a wiggly worm friend

Week of May 12, 2025 | Second Grade | Books and Reading

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Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian, by Jessica Spanyol
Carlo the giraffe and his cat, Crackers, learn that the library is a friendly place--even if the librarian is a crocodile.


Legend of Spud Murphy, by Eoin Colfer
When their mother drops them off at the library several afternoons a week, nine-year-old William and his brother dread the overbearing librarian, but are surprised at what they discover. Chapter 1 and 2 of 5.

Crafty Connection Crocodile-shaped bookmark to color

Week of May 12, 2025 | Third Grade | Responsibility

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Video Click here to see Mo Willems stage the scenery for Nanette's Baguette.

​Nanette's Baguette, by Mo Willems
Complications ensue when a young frog's mother gives her the responsibility of buying the family baguette.

At-Home Connection Create a paper village of your own, inspired by buildings from your town​.
Ideas at petitarchitect.com

My Brother Louis Measures Worms and Other Louis Stories, by Barbara Robinson
Mary Elizabeth relates the humorous misadventures of her brother Louis in this collection of short stories featuring two very responsible children who somehow find themselves at the center of chaos.
​This week part 1 of 2: Louis at the Wheel.


Crafty Connection Fill out and color your License to Read 

At-Home Connection Make a race car from a juice or milk carton 

Week of May 12, 2025 | Fourth Grade | Memorial Day

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Capital of Philippines, Manilla, Luzon
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Luzon rice fields
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Battle of Luzon, March 1945
Background The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia made up of more than 7,000 islands that are categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visaya, and Mindanao.

Tucky Jo and Little Heart, by Patricia Polacco
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A fifteen-year-old soldier in World War II meets a sweet young girl in the Philippines who helps him remember what he is fighting for as he helps her and others of her village avoid starvation. Many years later she returns his kindness. Part 1 of 2.

Week of May 12, 2025 | Fifth Grade | Curriculum Connection Fantasy

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The Van Gogh Cafe, by Cynthia Rylant (part 1 of 2)
The cafe has magic in its walls, causing strange and mysterious events to occur there. A small bit of that magic found its way into the Grand View Library one year, and has lived there ever since. One example is the cafe's theme song, and how Mrs. Snively learned it was sung by Dinah Shore. Next week, students will learn how that came to be, as well as learning what is the Dav Pilkey connection.

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

5/5/2025

 

Week of May 5, 2025 | TK
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Ling & Ting, Not Exactly the Same! by Grade Lin
Video Author/illustrator Grace Lin reads the first chapter from the book (running time 3:38)
Sticking together through everything from getting haircuts and preparing dumplings to practicing magic tricks and using chopsticks, identical twin sisters Ling and Ting display distinctive differences in personality and preference despite their similar looks.

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Crafty Connections Follow along with author/illustrator Grace Lin to draw the Rabbit in the Moon, and learn what is symbolized by the apple, the orange, and the peach. Grace Lin also offers a Ling & Ting paper doll template to print, color, and cut out.

Week of May 5, 2025 | Kindergarten
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Video How to Dim Sum, a Beginner's Guide

Dim Sum, Here We Come! by Maple Lam
In this yummy celebration of togetherness, love, family and food, a girl and her younger sister attend their weekly dim sum family gathering.

Crafty Connection Dim sum coloring sheet

Week of May 5, 2025 | First Grade
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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The Ugly Vegetables, by Grace Lin
A little girl thinks her mother's garden is the ugliest in the neighborhood until she discovers that flowers might look and smell pretty but Chinese vegetable soup smells best of all.

Crafty Connections Follow along with author/illustrator Grace Lin to draw the Rabbit in the Moon, and learn what is symbolized by the apple, the orange, and the peach. Grace Lin also offers an Ugly Vegetable coloring sheet.
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Kitchen Connection Ugly Vegetable soup recipe

Week of May 5, 2025 | Second Grade
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Yoko, by Rosemary Wells
​Yoko's mother packs her a lunch with all her favorite sushi, but the other kids jeer ("Yuck-o-rama!") at the raw fish and green seaweed, and Yoko is devastated. In a well-meaning attempt to foster understanding, the teacher announces they will have an International Day, and everyone will bring in a dish from a foreign country. Will anyone try Yoko's sushi?

Crafty Connection Sushi coloring sheet 
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No Kimchi for Me! by Aram Kim
Yoomi doesn't like the taste of spicy kimchi, but when Grandma makes kimchi pancakes, Yoomi considers changing her mind. 

Kitchen Connection Recipe for Quick Kimchi Pancakes from Bon Appetit ​

Week of May 5, 2025 | Third Grade
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, by Supriya Kelkar
Harpreet wears different colored patkas to highlight how he feels each day. When it is time to move across the country, the color of his patka signals his unhappiness about the change, until chance helps him make a new friend with a special "hat" of her own. 

Crafty Connection 
The numerals we use originated in India in the 6th or 7th century and were introduced to Europe through the writings of Middle Eastern mathematicians. Create a unique tile pattern using numbers drawn bubble style on a 4" x 4" paper folded diagonally twice. Start at the center and repeat around the paper. Use random numbers or numbers of significance such as an address or birthdate.

Week of May 5, 2025 | Fourth Grade
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Curriculum Connection: California History

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Photos such as this and the one above taken by Dorothea Lange documenting the camps were impounded by the military for their sympathetic nature and remained largely unseen until 2006
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Manzanar internment camp, approx. 230 miles north of Los Angeles CA near Lone Pine
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Poston internment camp in southwestern Arizona had three separate camps nicknamed by the prisoners as Roasten, Toastin and Dustin. The combined peak population of the Poston camps was over 17,000, mostly from Southern California. The camp was built on the Colorado Indian Reservation, over the objections of the Tribal Council. The US Bureau of Indian Affairs was keen to improve the agricultural infrastructure of the area for use after the war using War Department funds and "volunteer workers."
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Yoshito Wayne Osaki (1923-2015)
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Clara Breed (1906-1994)
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Background After Japan bombed Pear Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941, Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1942. The order led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast for the duration of the the war.

My Dog Teny, by Yoshito Wayne, Osaki
The true story about a boy and his dog and the friendship that they shared during the time of the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans during World War II. Originally published in 2001 as an essay in a collection of short stories by eleven Japanese American writers about their experiences as children and youth during World War II: "From Our Side of the Fence."

Mr. Osaki 
studied architecture at Berkeley after the War and designed stores, apartments, schools, and churches. In 1988, the U.S. Government apologized to the surviving internees from the camps. It admitted that the internment was due to racial prejudice, wartime paranoia, and poor leadership. The government also acknowledged that no Japanese American was ever found guilty of endangering the U.S. during World War II.

Write to Me, by Cynthia Grady
When young Japanese Americans were incarcerated with their families in harsh desert conditions, a San Diego children's librarian corresponded with many of them, sending books and art supplies. Clara Breed also wrote articles and letters agitating for justice for the prisoners.

Week of May 5, 2025 | Fifth Grade
Celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way, by Kyo Maclear
Growing up in a Japanese American family in California, Gyo Fujikawa enjoyed drawing. She studied art in college, traveled to Japan, and worked for Disney Studios in New York before beginning her career as an artist and picture-book illustrator. She is known for her inclusive illustrations of children, beginning with Babies (1963).

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

4/28/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of April 28, 2025 | All Grades
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week

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California Young Reader Medal
Winners announced on May 1. Compare the state results with our local voting results.
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Screen Time Awareness Week
Jimmy Jet and His TV Set, by Shel Silverstein
 Poem
Though a child could never actually turn into a TV, or have brains turn to mush from excessive screen time, children who spend too much time with electronic entertainment might not enjoy an imagination such as is gained through exploratory play, pleasure reading, and quiet reflection. Unplug from screen-based entertainment and let your imagination run wild. Find out more at screenfree.org. ​

Children's Book Week
Celebrate with books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and meaningful - books that beg for repeat readings! Find out more.

Week of April 28, 2025 | TK and Kindergarten
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week

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Screen Time Awareness Week
If..., by Sarah Perry 
Illustrations present such imaginative possibilities as worms with wheels, caterpillar toothpaste, and whales in outer space.​
​Connections 101 Screen Free Activities

Children's Book Week
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The world of Mo Willems is exactly what Children's Book Week is about: books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and meaningful - books that beg for repeat readings!
Crafty Connection Children's Book Week coloring page

That Is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
A plump mama goose is invited to dinner by a hungry fox while her babies warn that it is a bad idea.

Week of April 28, 2025 | First Grade
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week

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Screen Time Awareness Week
The Dragon in the Clock Box, by M. Jean Craig
When Joshua says he has a dragon's egg his family plays along. Note: no electronic entertainment is visible and readers can see how family members spend their leisure time.

Connections 101 Screen Free Activities

Children's Book Week
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This book about imagination is exactly what Children's Book Week is about: books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and meaningful - books that beg for repeat readings!

Crafty Connection Children's Book Week coloring page

Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis
To an imaginative little bunny, a box is not always just a box.
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What Is Inside This Box? by Drew Daywalt
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Monkey has a box, which he tells Cake has a cat inside, but only when the box is closed; Cake suggests that maybe there is a dinosaur instead.

Crafty Connection Take and make foldable box

Week of April 28, 2025 | Second Grade
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week

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Screen Time Awareness Week
Open this Little Book, by Jesse Klausmeier
An imaginative exploration of the art of book making and a charming tale of friendship and the power of books. The special invitation at the end is the perfect lead-in for...
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​Emma Kate, by Patricia Polacco
The best thing to play with is a huge imagination.
Connections 101 Screen Free Activities

Children's Book Week
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This book about honesty is exactly what Children's Book Week is about: books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and meaningful - books that beg for repeat readings!
Crafty Connection Children's Book Week coloring page

Betty Bunny Didn't Do It, by Michael B. Kaplan
When Betty Bunny breaks a lamp, she blames it on the Tooth Fairy. “Is that the honest truth?” her mom asks. “It's an honest lie,” Betty Bunny replies proudly. Honest lies, white lies, crying wolf – how can a little bunny keep track of the right thing to do?

Week of April 28, 2025 | Third Grade
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week

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Screen Time Awareness Week
Goodnight iPad, by Ann Droyd
In this parody for the next generation, a family bids goodnight to their electronic gadgets before going to bed. 

When Charlie McButton Lost Power, by Suzanne Collins
A boy who likes nothing but playing computer games is in trouble when the power goes out and his little sister has all of the batteries in the house.
​Connections 101 Screen Free Activities

Children's Book Week
These fairy tales are exactly what Children's Book Week is about: books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and meaningful - books that beg for repeat readings!
Crafty Connection Children's Book Week coloring page

Elements of Fairy Tales Readwritethink.org
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude, by Kevin O'Malley
Videos Before reading the story, set the mood with We Are Princesses and The Biker.
Cooperatively writing a fairy tale for school, a girl imagines a beautiful princess whose beloved ponies are being stolen by a giant, and a boy conjures up a muscular biker who will guard the last pony in exchange for gold.

Waking Beauty, by Leah Wilcox
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Prince Charming tries all sorts of silly ways to wake Sleeping Beauty before he learns how he is really supposed to wake her up.

Week of April 28, 2025 | Fourth Grade
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week

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Screen Time Awareness Week
If You Give a Mouse an iPhone, by Ann Droyd
In this parody of the Laura Numeroff storiies if you give a bored little mouse an iPhone he's likely to miss out on all the real fun going on around him.
​Connections 101 Screen Free Activities
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Children's Book Week
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The following two stories are exactly what Children's Book Week is about: books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and meaningful - books that beg for repeat readings!
Crafty Connection Children's Book Week coloring page

The Taking Tree, by Shrill Travesty
In this parody of The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, a selfish little boy takes advantage of a long-suffering tree who finally gives him just what he deserves.

Video Click here for The Tree's Revenge, a brief animated parody
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Video Eat It Weird Al Yankovic's music video parody of Michael Jackson's Beat It.

Week of April 28, 2025 | Fifth Grade
CYRM Winners | Screen Time Awareness | Children's Book Week 

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Screen Time Awareness Week
Jimmy Jet and His TV Set, by Shel Silverstein
 Poem
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Though a child could never actually turn into a TV, or have brains turn to mush from excessive screen time, children who spend too much time with electronic entertainment might not enjoy an imagination such as is gained through exploratory play, pleasure reading, and quiet reflection. Unplug from screen-based entertainment and let your imagination run wild. Find out more at screenfree.org. 
Connections 101 Screen Free Activities
​

Children's Book Week
This picture book biography is exactly what Children's Book Week is about: books that engage readers of all ages - pictures that invite second and third closer looks - stories that are fun and eye-opening - books that beg for repeat readings!

Girl Running : Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon, by Annette Bay Pimentel
An uplifting account of the achievements of the first woman to run the Boston Marathon describes how as a girl, Bobbi Gibb was not allowed to participate in sports at school and was subsequently barred from the 1966 Boston Marathon, compelling her to prove that women are just as capable as men.

28th Annual Exer Urgent Care Gator Run
Now let's get signed up for the Gator Run!

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

4/21/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

Week of April 21, 2025 | All Grades | Celebrating Earth Week

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Earth Day is an annual observance, held on April 22, to increase awareness of environmental issues. Millions of people worldwide gather to clean up litter, to protest threats to the environment, and to celebrate progress in reducing pollution. In 1969, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested that a day of environmental education be held on college campuses. The following year, the lawyer and environmentalist Denis Hayes (then a recent graduate of Stanford University) led hundreds of students in organizing the observance of Earth Day on April 22, 1970. About 20 million people participated in this celebration. The event helped to alert people to the dangers of pollution and fostered a new environmental movement. Also in 1970, Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency to set and enforce pollution standards, and passed the Clean Air Act which limits the amount of air pollution that cars, utilities, and industries could release. Other environmental laws soon followed. (Hayes, Denis. "Earth Day." World Book Student. World Book, 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.)
The effort continues with Grades of Green, a grassroots organization that teaches kids about environmental stewardship that got its start at Grand View Elementary School in 2009. 

MBUSD Website Green District information page

Video ABC7 Eyewitness News Manhattan Beach Students are Pros at Saving the Planet 
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Week of April 21, 2025 | TK and Kindergarten | Earth Week
​Natural Resources

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Video Define the environment as what is all around us. Talk about trees, water, fuel, and electricity. Define and discuss natural resources: paper, metal, glass, oil. The animated Think Earth shows the impact humans have on the environment and how to minimize impact for a healthier planet.

The Earth Book, by Todd Parr
Students learn simple ways to take care of the planet. 

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Coloring sheets
Composting... Life in the Slow Lane! 
Clean Storm Drains = Healthy Oceans!

Week of April 21, 2025 | First Grade | Earth Week
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot, Repurpose, and Refuse

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Video Recycle Rex Rex and friends learn about recycling firsthand when the field where they play is in jeopardy of being turned into a landfill. Define and discuss the Six Rs and how excessive packaging contributes to waste. 
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Coloring sheets
Composting... Life in the Slow Lane! 
Clean Storm Drains = Healthy Oceans!

Week of April 21, 2025 | Second Grade | Earth Week
Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Where Does Trash Go?

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Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon! by Pat Cummings When Harvey cleans his room by stuffing everything under the rug he learns that though out of sight may be out of mind, it is not good enough when it comes to finding a place for his things. Discuss over-consumption and how landfills are filling to capacity. Talk about the importance of a clean beach.

Video clip Toys All Gone 
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Coloring sheets
Composting... Life in the Slow Lane! 
Clean Storm Drains = Healthy Oceans

Week of April 21, 2025 | Third Grade | Earth Week
Wetlands | Making Land Use Decisions for the Seventh Generation

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Curriculum Connection Ballona Wetlands field trip.

Video Common Ground, the Water, Earth, and Air We Share Curriculum connection Opening with a visit to a wetlands preserve, the video imparts the message of conservation and responsibility for our shared natural resources and respect for the environment. The narrator references "The Seventh Generation" principle, an Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy: decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future. If video is no longer available, read the book.​

Coloring sheets
Composting... Life in the Slow Lane! 
Clean Storm Drains = Healthy Oceans!

Week of April 21, 2025 | Fourth Grade | Earth Week
Hazardous Waste Disposal

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Someday a Tree, by Eve Bunting
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A young girl, her parents, and their neighbors try to save an oak tree that has been poisoned by illegal hazardous waste dumping.


Video Big Yellow Taxi sung by Joni Mitchell

Coloring sheets
Composting... Life in the Slow Lane! 
Clean Storm Drains = Healthy Oceans!

Week of April 21, 2025 | Fifth Grade | Earth Week | Taking Action

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Video Community commemorates the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill
In 1969, Santa Barbara woke up to its coast coated in sticky, pungent oil. What came next changed environmental policy for the nation.

Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day, by Shaunna and John Stith

In 1969, Union Oil caused a hazardous oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara that flooded the Pacific Ocean, harmed wildlife, and devastated habitats. But from this ecological disaster sprang a new wave of environmental activism that would change the world.

Website Pop History Dig has an extensive report with many archival photographs about the disaster and its effects on the growing ecology movement.

Coloring sheets
Composting... Life in the Slow Lane! 
Clean Storm Drains = Healthy Oceans!

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

4/14/2025

 
Looking for content from previous weeks? Scroll further down.

​Week of April 14, 2025 | Spring Break

No school April 21 School resumes Tuesday, April 22

Read-Alouds and Presentations Week to Week by Grade Level

4/7/2025

 

Week of April 7, 2025 | TK and Kindergarten
Celebrating National Library Week and
Beverly Cleary's Birthday April 12 with Read-A-Thon D.E.A.R. Time

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Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
The animals on the farm go to the library to find something to do, but the librarian doesn't understand what they are trying to say.

Kindergarten This week, students will be introduced to using the other side of the library.


Crafty Connection Frog and duck coloring sheet

At-Home Crafty Connection Step-by-step instructions to make cheerful paper frogs (add a paper book)

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.

National D.E.A.R. 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 D.E.A.R. Their enthusiasm for this activity inspired Beverly to give the same experience to Ramona, who gets to enjoy D.E.A.R. time with her class in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981), introduced in Chapter 2.

Week of April 7, 2025 | First through Fifth Grade
Celebrating National School Library Month with Who's On First
Beverly Cleary's Birthday April 12 with Read-A-Thon D.E.A.R. Time

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Who's On First
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Extended Costello Family
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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
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Chris & Paddy Costello (front L to R)
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)

Bonus Video 7 into 28 Lou Costello invents a new kind of math

Crafty Connection Who's On First coloring sheet 


Local news report Extended Costello family in the Library Beach Reporter article (May 5, 2013) 

Local news report Lou Costello's daughter in the Library Easy Reader article (April 14, 2010) ​
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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.

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
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    Library Program

    Our students enjoy weekly visits for presentations crafted to instill a love of reading, to enhance classroom lessons, and to inspire life-long learning. Visits include checking out materials, practicing information literacy, and exercising digital citizenship.
    Colleagues are welcome to borrow program ideas.

    California Model School Library Standards 

    Read Aloud 15 Minutes 
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