Book Recommendation: The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing

Listen up, everyone who read Three Times Lucky ... there's a sequel! And it's pretty good! If you pick it up, let me know what you think in the comments.

Summary from penguin.com:

When Miss Lana makes an Accidental Bid at the Tupelo auction and winds up the mortified owner of an old inn, she doesn't realize there's a ghost in the fine print. Naturally, Desperado Detective Agency (aka Mo and Dale) opens a paranormal division to solve the mystery of the ghost's identity. They've got to figure out who the ghost is so they can interview it for their history assignment (extra credit).

But Mo and Dale start to realize that the Inn isn't the only haunted place in Tupelo Landing. People can also be haunted by their own past.

A laugh out loud, ghostly, Southern mystery.

Access extras at the official site.

The Z Was Zapped! as redone by Room 1

I read Chris Van Allsburg's The Z Was Zapped to the first graders. Each page features a letter having something done to it; the kids tried to guess the action, which started with the same letter (e.g., the M melting or the E evaporating). Then the students drew their own letters, which will be used to decorate the library next year: 

Summer Reading Kickoff is Today!

Head to your local public library branch today for the summer reading program kickoff. Info from the Cranston Public Library web site:

Kids in grades K-5 will receive a reading log that allows them to keep track of their reading all summer. If you read at least 35 days, collect 3 signatures from people you shared your reading with, and visit the library 7 times between June 23 and Aug 8, they'll put a bookplate with your name on it in a library book, and you'll be eligible to win a Kindle Fire Tablet!

Kick-off Dates:

Central Library: MON, June 23, 1-3:30 PM, 5:30-7:30 PM or WED, June 25, 5:30-7:30

William Hall Library: MON, June 23, 3 PM

Auburn, Knightsville, Oak Lawn, and Arlington Branches: Drop in any time

Field Day Fun in the Library

Thanks to Mrs. Humes, the library was an INDOOR station on Field Day. No sunburn, yay! Just lots of games and puzzles.

Room 2 Dictionary Kites

We've been working on alphabetization and guide words in second grade. After a week of dictionary races, the students each picked a random word out of a hat. Several told me, "Ms. Moore, I don't know what my word means." ... Which was the point.

Their assignment: find the word, write the definition, and then come up with a visual representation drawn on a "kite." Then put the page number and guide words on the tail. Here are some of Room 2's work:

 

Thanks to my former colleague Linda Roderick for the idea.

Common Core standard addressed: L.2.4.e - Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.