YouTube!!!!

There are so many good books in this world...nobody has time to waste reading a bad book! But how do you find a good one? In our ongoing effort to match readers and books, we are now using YouTube! Look at our YouTube channel, Edgewood Books, to find short video book reviews. They are kind of like "unboxing" videos except we "unshelve" books to see what is inside them. The list of videos is growing as well as the format...I'm hoping to get students involved! Check them out!

Edgewood Books on YouTube

October is Digital Citizenship Awareness Month

During October, Homewood City Schools highlight 

Digital Citizenship. 

Going home in the student's folder is a booklet titled Net Cetera. 

This is a resource for parents to facilitate family discussion about manners and safety online. Included with the booklet is a flyer with some suggested activities. 

When your child completes at least one of the activities, 

they should bring the signed portion to the Library. 

From October 3-20, classes will be discussing smart online practices 

and we hope you will also share with your child ways they can 

be the best Digital Citizen that they can be.

For more information, please check these sites:

Homewood City Schools District website Parents and Students Technology 
       (Here you will find our BYOD policy as well as other guidelines.)
Net Cetera (This is the booklet sent home with each student.)
Common Sense Media (This site offers parents MUCH information!)

Why Did My Kid Checkout THIS Book?

We have around 10,000 books in our school library. When students visit, I let them choose which books to checkout. I believe that the library is one place students can make their own choice...and I believe that we learn from a book even if we can't read all the words in it.

With this in mind, parents sometimes are surprised by the books their kids borrow--especially books their kindergarten kids choose. But something about this book called to the student, and that's the magic to discover. Many a great conversation about books has started with "Why did you choose this book?" Maybe a friend or teacher suggested it; maybe it has a cool picture on the cover; maybe it was the fattest book they could find, and fat books are cool. "But what if my kid doesn't like the book when they get it home?" No problem! They can return the book the next day and make another choice. To paraphrase Thomas Edison, 'there are no bad books, just books I don't like.' Knowing this truth helps us find good fit books that we will like to read.

So if your kid brings home a book that seems unusual, ask what they like about it; find out what called to them.

Off and Checking Out....

We've been through the first ten days of school and already checked out over 4,600 books!!

So many new and exciting things in the Library!

Bookcases have been moved...

Shelves rearranged...

New books to read...

a new Library Assistant (Mrs. Morgan)...

and new postings on Instagram! 

(Follow us @edgewoodbooks)

Check us out!

Summer Reading with the HCS Digital Library

So Mrs. Woodruff, just how do we work those ebooks
from the Homewood Digital Library?

Miss Sloderbeck's students created instructional videos.
Watch this video and you will be an ebook expert!

In addition, Overdrive is providing an enhanced ebook collection (for free to us!!) that is only available during the month of June. So if you are into ebooks, check the HCS Digital Library during June and find some awesome limited-time-available titles. (At this time, I'm not sure how the site will look  or how you will know? I assume there will be a collection indicating the Juvenile Titles that fall into this special category.)

Keep Reading.................................

We are excited to announce:

The Fiction Shelves have moved!!

We now officially have 3 Fiction areas: Fiction Northwest (short picture books); Fiction West (short chapter books); and Fiction Southwest (loooooong chapter books). We are all getting used to the new arrangement, but everybody is finding good fit books and new favorites. Many thanks to our PTO volunteers who moved and shifted almost 6,000 books in one day!

And we are super excited to announce:

Edgewood Night at Homewood Public Library!!

We hope everyone participates in HPL’s Summer Reading Program…books + programs = fun! And be sure to join me and some of your favorite teachers on July 7 at 6:30 pm at the Homewood Public Library. We will enjoy an evening visiting with you and hearing about what you are reading. In addition, Edgewood Readers will be highlighted as the Birmingham Zoo shares some of their special friends. We are looking forward to this big night!

And we are over excited to share:

Little Free Libraries around Homewood!!

You’ve seen them in the park and down the street. Little Free Libraries are popping up everywhere! They are a fun way to pass on you own books and find new books to enjoy. Two of these wonder boxes were started by Edgewood alum Charlie McCalley: one library can be found in front of All Saints’ Church and the other at the Homewood Community Garden.

And finally:

THANKS for a great year in the Library!

Edgewood Readers are awesome. We’ve checked out over 65,000 books this year!!! That’s a lot of reading/learning fun!! And it could not have been done without the help of our fabulous Library Volunteers!! They get the books where the kids can find them. Thank you team!! In your honor, we have added the picture book by Jerry Pinkney: The Grasshopper and the Ant. You are each as busy and dedicated as the Ant, yet as joyful as the Grasshopper!

And as always:

Find GREAT summer reading suggestions…

on Edgewood’s Library Blog!

Mrs. Woodruff’s Ultimate Book List gives a short description of many perfect books as well as suggestions for when you say “I want to read another book like…”

and from the HCS Digital Library.

You can checkout and read ebooks all summer long! Easily download great reads directly to your device or computer. Instructions (from Miss Sloderbeck’s students!!) included on the site.

Happy Reading!!

Mrs. Woodruff

I Love a List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...

1. Author Day is Friday, March 11.

• Everybody wear yellow! (It's Mike Thaler's favorite color.)
• Autographed books (pre-ordered last month) will be delivered to classrooms Friday afternoon/Monday morning. (Most likely Monday morning.)

2. Add a Book is Monday, March 14-Thursday, March 17.

• Permission slips will go home March 4.
• Students must have a signed permission slip to select a book to donate.
• Click here for Add a Book permission slip.
• Do not send money until you have received the price slip.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS BY SUPPORTING OUR LIBRARY!

3. Better Basics Book Drive April 4-21.

• Once again, Edgewood will be sharing the love of reading by collecting your old, gently-loved children's books for Better Basics of Birmingham. This wonder-filled organization gets books in the hands of local readers. Send to the Library those children's books you are ready to let go and we will make sure they find excited new readers. Many thanks!!

4.Follow the Library on Social Media!

• Twitter: @EdgewoodBooks
• Goodreads: Edgewood Books
• Goodreads is a Pinterest type website for book lovers. 
• Checkout our Bookshelves to find new favorite books. (iyl = if you like)
• Then find these books here at the  Edgewood Library, the Homewood Public Library, or your local bookstore.

5. The Shelves are moving!!

• Our re-labeling and re-shelving of the Fiction books is moving fast. I'm hoping to have our new Fiction West section ready by mid-April. 

6. Ask your fourth grader about the Iditarod, the last great race...

Author Day from the Black Lagoon!!!!
Want to order some autographed copies of Mike Thaler's books?
Complete this order form, 
attach your check/money, and send to the Library by February 2.

Edgewood's Geographic Bee

The School Geographic Bee

Friday

January 8, 2016

8:30 am

We went around the world and back again!

Congratulations to all of our participants
and our First and Second Place Winners!