Big House Book Club Field Trip for Read Across America Day!

03/07/2011

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Every year around the birthday of Dr. Seuss, schools and libraries across the country bring together kids and teens to celebrate books and reading for Read Across America Day. This is the Big House Book Club's second year participating, and this year was even funner than last! :)

We went to 3 schools (Meadow School and Corona Creek), visited dozens of classrooms, read lots of books, and met hundreds of amazing kids -- all in 1 whirlwind day! It was tons of fun for everyone! :)

Thanks to Petaluma Transit, who let us ride the bus for free. Thanks to all the teachers who shared their classrooms with Casa's book clubbers. And thanks to all the school principals who allowed us to do this: Dr. Mahoney, Mr. Schwinn, Ms. Becker, and Ms. Scheele. :)


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Teen Read Week 2010

11/11/2010

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without a lot of fanfare this year, we acknowledged teen read week at the big house library.

all i did was i laid out  pieces of poster paper on tables and asked students to write the titles of books they've read and loved on them.

i also begged/bullied a bunch of random students who were studying into saying "happy teen read week" on camera (see video above). :)

what surprised me was how excited students were to write the title of their favorite book and tell anyone standing nearby why it they loved it.

i was also surprised to see them reading books they're not getting from our library and loving books they read in their english classes.

i'm glad we did something for teen read week, even if it wasn't anything much. :)

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surfing and swimming and reading this summer

06/04/2010

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while turning the pages of a magazine recently, i saw this very well-done ad. although it doesn't cite the sources of its data, it feels compelling and convincing (as any effective ad should).

it got me thinking, though, that this notion of surfing vs. swimming could apply to more than just internet and magazines. i think this analogy also applies reading in books as well. 
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maybe there's research that shows that traditional reading done in non-traditional ways (such as on an iPad) has similar benefits. i'm not sure, but i'm going to be researching this question over the summer for my master's thesis.

at any rate, here's wishing you all a long, leisurely summer of reading whatever however whenever.
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A Very Special Visitor...

01/13/2010

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You'll never guess who I hung out with the Big House Library yesterday!  

Dr. Stephen Krashen! :)

Dr. Krashen a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, author of numerous books about literacy and reading, advocate for libraries, and a personal hero of mine! :)

I gave him the ten cent tour and showed him my smutty magazines (he was impressed) and our new computer lab (he wasn't impressed). 

We talked about Race to the Top and his most recent research on how school libraries positively impact student achievement.

I am so inspired by Dr. Krashen's relentless advocacy for reading. I am so grateful for his defense of libraries. And I am so honored to count him as a mentor and a friend. :)
 
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November is National Family Literacy Month! :)

11/01/2009

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November is National Family Literacy Month.

For more information, visit familylit.org.

And check out the literacy house. It's neat. :)
 
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Teen Read Week 2009! :)

10/20/2009

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 Petaluma teens will be reading for the fun of it this week in celebration of Teen Read Week, October 18 – 24, 2009. They join thousands of other schools, libraries, and bookstores across the country who are encouraging teens to celebrate this year’s theme, "Read Beyond Reality @ your library®." 

Teen Read Week is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association. This year’s theme encourages teens to read a wide variety of materials that are out of this world, just for the fun of it.

"Today’s teens seem to have less and less free time, and there are increasingly more activities for them to take part in during what little leisure time they have," said [Librarian's name.] "That is why it’s important to encourage teens to set aside some time to read."

The Big House Library hopes to increase teen literacy locally by issuing a reading double dare to all Casa Grande students and promoting teen programs at the public library. For a full listing of Teen Read Week activities, check out the Sonoma County Library's Teenspace Blog.

Literacy is a topic of both local and national concern, and falling test scores and declining graduation rates among teens today are serious issues. Here in California' standardized reading test scores for teens could be worse and could be better.

Studies show a regular reading habit increases reading proficiency, and librarian Anna Koval agrees. "One of the most important ways teens acquire the reading habit is by watching adults they respect read." says Koval.

Being around adults who are avid readers can counteract the latest statistics from The Nation’s Report Card, which indicate that in homes across America the number of different types of reading materials has decreased, and a smaller percentage of seventeen-year-olds saw adults reading in their homes.

Parents of teens are encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Weekat home. Ms. Koval offers these ideas:

  • Visit the public or school library with your teen to attend a program or to check out books.
  • Set aside time each night for the family to read.
  • Give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward.
  • Share your favorite book with your teen.
  • Surf the web with your teen to learn about new books or authors. A good place to start is YALSA's Booklist's page.
  • Join a book discussion group at the school or public library.

Teen Read Week is held annually during the third week of October. An updated sponsors and supporting organizations list can be found at the Web site, www.ala.org/teenread.

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wind down this weekend w/ a free e-book! :)

03/13/2009

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click here to download this awesome e-book for free!  :)

 

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thanx 4 UR letters! =)

08/29/2008

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Last week Mr. Hurwitz's English classes got a lesson in letter writing and practiced with some "Dear Ms. Koval" letters. I LOVED reading what you wrote! THANK YOU for your thoughtful ideas and for the stuff you said that made me LOL! =)

I mean, really! An air hockey table, a pool table, a snack bar, big screen tvs, and a temperpedic bed! You guys cracked me up for real! =)

It's not that I'm not for some of these things, it's just that I'm not for having them here. (On college campuses, you'll find all this cool stuff and more in the student union, not in the library.)

Talk to the PTSA and the Boosters about your ideas. Who knows, you might just make them happen! =)

Here are some of your awesome suggestions for improving the library. 

1) the books & the mags..
music and musicians, sports and athletes, biographies, and "anything interesting"! =)

2) the space & the stuff...
couches and comfy chairs, bean bags, more tables, more computers, wi-fi, MySpace, movies, music, and "air freshener in the bathrooms"! =)

3) the atmosphere/the vibe...
You said you want the library to be a more relaxed place where you can talk, eat, work, read, and relax comfortably, or in your words, "chill"! =)

Now, I can't guarantee that all your requests will become realities, but some will for sure and soon! I swear! =)

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