Katiem's blog

Okay, we admit it. There was maybe a little teeny tiny (okay huge) amount of nonsense in this month's Reader's Studio. But we did focus on nonfiction books. Here's the list of what we read. And we've included a snippet of information that we learned from each book. Hopefully it will entice you to read it to find out more.

Ana - A ValueTales Treasury: Stories for Growing Good People by Spencer Johnson
(Ana's favorite part was about Harriet Tubman, who helped escaped slaves.)

Aziza - The Pebble First Guide to Snakes by Katy R. Kudela (Aziza's favorite species in the book was the Indian Python)

We had 86 people attend our Lego Block Party! Make sure you stop by the online photo gallery to see all of the amazing things our 7 to 12-year-olds created. You'll also see pictures of some kids seriously concentrating on mastering the game Lego Chopsticks. Thanks to our local Lego Store in the Galleria for donating Mar/Apr 2012 issues of Lego Club magazine for all of our participants!

Stay tuned for our next Tween Scene event in April: DS Game Day.

Eleven of us braved the sleet on Monday, February 13 to share fractured fairy tales with the Reader's Studio, including two new friends. Welcome, Citlali and Sofia!

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, video, and audiobooks for children and teens at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, Texas on Monday, January 23, 2012. The full list can be found at this website. Here are a few of the highlights. Several library favorites made the list, but there were some disappointed Hoover Public Librarians this morning. How do you feel about this supposed best-of-the-best?

We've made a resolution to read more books in 2013. How about you?

This is the THIRD TIME I have attempted to make this blog post. Technology has not been my friend. But, as they say, third time's a charm!

Fourteen of us pulled ourselves away from the pre-LSU vs UA mania to discover some amazing award-winning books at Reader's Studio: Blue Ribbon Books on Monday, January 9, 2012. We were introduced to big-eared mice, regurgitating wolves, and even flying frogs.

Alonna - The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy (ALSC Childrens' Notable Book)

Part three of three. We did not read as many nonfiction titles this year. We are making a New Year's Resolution to improve on that in 2012.

Part two of three. We read (and loved) a lot more mysteries than usual.

Here's the first of the three-post series about our favorite children's books of 2011. Apparently, we had a soft spot for pet-themed picture books this year.

Ok, so our Christmas tree of readers is a little lopsided, but it's still completely adorable. The Reader's Studio met on December 12 to talk about all the great holiday books we had read. There were a lot of Christmas titles (surprise, surprise), but a few other holidays were represented too.

Alonna - Don't Be My Valentine: A Classroom Mystery by Joan M. Lexau

Ana - Juliet the Valentine Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Aziza - An Elk Dropped In by Andreas Steinhofel (Christmas)