Whittier Celebrated National Children’s Book Week on November 12-18, 2007

Here are the fun ways we celebrated
National Children’s Book Week as a school:

Monday, Nov. 12th:
Bookmark Contest
Each student received a blank bookmark to design. The purpose of the bookmark was to encourage students to read! We selected four winners from each grade level and copied their bookmarks to be given out to students! Winners also received a bookmark to keep!

Wednesday, Nov. 14th:
“Book Character Day”
Students and staff dressed up as their favorite book characters! Some characters included: Clifford, Calvin from Calvin and Hobbs, Amelia Bedelia, Pooh, Pippi Longstocking, The Grouchy Ladybug, Cat in the Hat, Waldo, Annie and Jack from the Magic Tree House, Encyclopedia Brown, and so many MORE!
Three winners from each grade level won a free paperback book!

Friday, Nov. 16th:
READING ROCKS!
Our goal was to have someone reading in Mrs. Austin’s rocking chair from 9:00am – 3:00pm. Teachers signed up their class to have a special guest reader read to them. We were very fortunate to have many everyday heroes as guest readers throughout our special celebration.

Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Reading Program 2007-2008

What is the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Program?
This program allows children to foster the love of reading and to honor outstanding books.

How does the program work?
A list of books are chosen by a committee made up of library media specialists and other interested people. Here at Whittier, grades K-5 will be watching and listening to the list of books in the picture book category using the video broadcast system. Grades 4 and 5 can also participate in the Grades 4-6 category by reading the books on the list independently. After the students have read the books on the list, either by their media specialist or by themselves, the students will vote for their favorite book in that category. That's right! Only students can vote! Then the votes from schools all over Maryland are sent to the committee and the book with the most votes becomes the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Winner for 2007-2008.

What kinds of books are chosen?
There is a criteria that all books must follow in order to be chosen as a nominee. For example, books may be fiction (story) or nonfiction (facts). Books must also have the copyright date of the current year or the past three years. So, this year, books must have the copyright date of 2007, 2006, 2005 or 2004. Books must also have received positive reviews from appropriate professional journals.

What are the nominees for the picture book category for 2007-2008?
Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi
I Could Do That: Ester Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White
Max's Words by Kate Banks
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens
Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!: A Palenstinian Tale by Margaret Read MacDonald
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! by Kathleen Kudlinski
This is the Dream by Diane ZuHone Shore
The Hungry Coat by Demi
Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes
The Gold Miner's Daughter by Jackie Mims Hopkins
Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Cowley
Dad, Jackie and Me by Myron Uhlberg
Pop's Bridge by Eve Bunting
John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith

What are the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Chapter Book Nominees (Gr.4-6)?
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney
Free Baseball by Sue Corbett
Revenge of the Witch: The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Lowji Discovers America by Candace Fleming
Bridge to America by Linda Glasser
Satch and Me by Dan Gutman
Moon Runner by Carolyn Marsden
Trading Places by Claudia Mills
Close Encounters of a Third-World Kind by Jennifer Stewart
Listen! by Stephanie Tolan

This year's Whittier 2007-2008 Picture Book winner was:
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens with 183 votes!
(Thanks to Bob for helping us unveil our school's winner!)

Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!: A Palenstinian Tale by Margaret Read MacDonald
was in second place with 168 votes!
Stay tuned to see which book wins the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan!!

This year's Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Picture Book Winner is:
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens


This year's Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Chapter Book Winner for Grades 4-6 is:
Revenge of the Witch: The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney

Last year's Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Picture Book Winner is:
Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O'Malley!!

Last year's Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Chapter Book Winner
for Grades 4-6 is: Trading Places with Tank Talbott by Dori Butler.

To learn more about the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Reading Program or to find a list of past nominees and winners,
visit http://mdedmedia.org/besall.html.

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Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden.