Book Blog

For those of you who are interested, I have another blog, The Reading List, in which I discuss and review books I'm currently reading. These books include books for adults, children, and young adults.

Here is the link: http://thelibrarylog.blogspot.com/

Valuable Resource for Teachers and Students

If you haven't looked at the district's Destiny website lately, you really should take a look at it because you are missing out on a very valuable, easy to use resource. Destiny is the program we use in the library to check out books and keep track of the textbooks.

But it is a lot more than that. Parents, students, and teachers can access this site at home and the district is encouraging us to make more use of it.

The site has recently been updated and has many new features. The search feature is quick and thorough if you are looking for a certain resource in Hawthorne's library. If we don't have something you need on site, you can search all the other media centers in the district and we can get whatever you are looking for via school mail.

A really neat feature of Destiny is the WebPath Express. If you search a subject, say for instance tall tales, then you will not only get a list of the tall tale books we have in the library, but also an annotated list of approved, high-quality, educational websites to go along with the subject you searched.

The site also provides all the information you would need for a certain book, including author information, reading levels, award history, publication information, etc.

Another new feature is Destiny Quest. This is an interactive, visually appealing and stimulating search interface aimed at the 21st century learner and it is absolutely awesome!

Directions for accessing Destiny (and you don't even have to log in):

Go to: http://destiny.okcps.org/

You will see a list of OKC schools. Click on Hawthorne.

The page that pops up is Hawthorne's home page for Destiny. I've put lots of author websites and homework helpers here, things the kids can use at home or at school.

To use the catalog feature, click on the tan "catalog" tab near the top of the page and select either WebPath Express or Destiny Quest or Library Search from the menu on the left and have fun!

Who is Junie B. Jones?

I want to do some character sketches for the blog and this will be the first one.

For those of you who don't know who Junie B. Jones is, she is the title character in the very popular series of books by Barbara Park. In the books, Junie is in kindergarten and she later moves to first grade. She is hilariously funny and is always in some kind of situation. The books are told from her own point of view and they are full of comic relief with Junie B. wearing the nerves of all who know her. I had not read a Junie B. Jones book until last year, and wondering why they were in such demand, I read several and discovered immediately why the books fly off the shelves. You can't help but love this character and the way she just calls her teacher "Mrs. and that's all," not caring to bother with her teacher's full name. She has a mind of her own and the way it operates is delightful. The books are a very easy read, I can read one in a setting, and I guess that is part of the attraction for the kids. I think they can also relate to her and the language of young kids that Park uses in writing her books. We have many copies in the media center so if you want to read something quick and funny, and keep up with what the kids are reading at the same time, Junie B. Jones is perfect!

Volunteer Opportunity

If you know of anyone out there who would like to volunteer at their child's school, a parent or grandparent, the Media Center always has opportunities available. With as many books as our kids read, there's always shelving to be done and there are bookshelves that need painting as well. I also wouldn't mind a volunteer during the Book Fair (Sept. 15-19). Keep in mind, it doesn't have to be anything heavy duty, a person could volunteer as much or as little as he or she likes. So, if you hear of anyone, send them our way!

Save the Date: BOOK FAIR!

Hawthorne's Library's Fall Scholastic book fair is scheduled for September 15 through September 19 so start saving your money now! More information will follow soon.

Wish List Items

Also on the library's wishlist are a couple of bean bags and an adult rocking chair for storytime. Used in decent condition is fine.

Atlas Stand Needed for Media Center

If anyone sees a used piece of furniture like this, please let me know, it would be nice to have one for the library.

It doesn't have to be in the best shape, we can paint it or spiff if up if we have to.

It doesn't have to look exactly like this either. Usually the lower shelves slide out but just one shelf across the bottom would be fine where extra atlases could be stacked or stood. I have also seen these with a level top, rather than tilted. Atlas stands are generally wider than a normal dictionary stand or podium.

Donations would be great if anyone comes across a bargain, or maybe some handyman out there could build us one!