January 24, 2006
And the Winner Is...
The major awards for children's and young adult's literature were announced at the American Library Association's Mid-Winter meeting on Monday, January 23rd. Here's the rundown of the big winners. Those titles preceded by an asterisk indicate titles we hold in our PHS collection. If you would like to donate any of the titles we do not yet own, please contact Lisa J. For a more complete PDF version of this list, which includes all of the many wonderful honor books in addition to the "medal" winners, check in next week on this site to download.
Coretta Scott King Awards (recognizing African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults that demonstrate sensitivity to "the true worth and value of all beings")
New Talent Award: Jimi and Me by Jaime Adoff
Illustrator Award: *Rosa, illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Nikki Giovanni
Author Award: *Day of Tears by Julius Lester
Pura Belpre Awards (honoring Latino writers and illustrators whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience)
Illustrator Award: Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart illustrated by Raul Colon and written by Pat Mora
Author Award: The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award (for the outstanding book for beginning readers)
Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant
Caldecott Medal (for the most distinguished American picture book for children)
The Hello Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka and written by Norton Juster
Newbery Medal (for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature)
*Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins
Michael J. Printz Award (for excellence in literature written for young adults)
*Looking for Alaska by John Green
Schneider Family Awards (for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience)
Childrens: Dad, Jackie, and Me written by Myron Uhlberg and illustrated by Colin Bootman
Middle School: *Tending to Grace by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Teen: Under the Wolf, Under the Dog by Adam Rapp
Siebert Informational Book Medal (for most distinguished informational book for children)
secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Secrets of the H.L. Hunley by Sally M. Walker
Batchelder Award (for an outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States)
An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holu
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January 04, 2006
Happy New Year from the PHS Library!
New Year, New Books. Almost all of the dozens and dozens of books donated at the Book Fair are now catalogued and ready for circulation. Our Book Fair was a rousing success. I will publish final numbers on this site in the near future, but in addition to the donated books, we earned a few thousand dollars for our library! Thanks to all of the many, many volunteers and shoppers who made this possible and helped us end 2005 in such a successful way.
At the end of 2005 we also enjoyed the company of two distinguised authors/artists - Yuyi Morales and Rick Riordan. Here's a photo of Rick, former PHS teacher, with his former student and current PHS staff member, Kiah Jeffries! We're all eagerly awaiting the second book in Percy Jackson & The Olympians series. Check out Rick Riordan's website for more information.
Coming Soon: Meet Louis Sachar, author of the award-winning Holes and many other marvelous books. He'll be at Books, Inc. in Laurel Village on Thursday, January 26th at 6:30 p.m. The sequel to Holes, titled Small Steps, comes out this month.
Did you have a birthday in the fall and forget to donate your birthday book? You know you want me to take your polaroid picture, so contact me or just browse through the birthday book choices in the hall outside the library and let me know which book you'd like to donate.
Did you read any terrific books over winter break? If so, why don't you post a short recommendation on this site. Click on the Book Reviews Permalink and follow the simple instructions. I look forward to hearing from you.
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October 21, 2005
SFPL Library Cards
Please make sure that your child in grades three and up, and especially those in middle school, have a current (no fees owed) San Francisco Public Library Card and PIN number. This magic combination of card and PIN number will allow students to access an incredible wealth of information and services at no cost from any computer with internet access.
We plan on educating students about using this valuable resource and conducting research during some of our weekly library periods.
As you can imagine, the SFPL can afford to purchase many more databases and other resources than our own library! Students will be able to access an incredible collection of periodicals, journals, e-books, etc. as well as have books and other materials reserved and sent to either the Presidio Branch or their local neighborhood branch for more convenient pick-up.
Coming up immediately, the 7th grade will be working with Jennifer and Lisa J. to begin research for their Latin America unit, and this card/PIN number will prove to be invaluable.
I am requesting that students bring their card number and their PIN number in to me early next week; I will write their two numbers on the back of their PHS library card so it is always accessible when students are working in the library—even if the SFPL card gets misplaced. Students can then take their SFPL cards back home or keep them in their backpacks or wherever they choose.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
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October 14, 2005
From the library
This past Wednesday we enjoyed a visit from award-winning illustrator and author, Yuyi Morales. Yuyi is a Bay Area children’s book creator and we have three of her wonderful picture books in our own library: Sand Sister, Harvesting Hope: A Story of Cesar Chavez, and Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. When Yuyi held up this last book during her presentation, there was spontaneous cheering from the lower school; teachers and I had shared this beautiful and entertaining book with the various classes prior to the assembly. Yuyi seemed genuinely thrilled at their enthusiastic response.
Yuyi shared a little of her own history through showing and talking about objects that grabbed the students’ attention instantly-a variety of handmade folk toys from her childhood in Mexico. Highlights of her visit also included her exquisite skeleton puppet, Señor Calavera (the bony star of Just a Minute). They recognized him instantly and were delighted to see him “in person” in our very own theater, and for those students who are starting to learn about Dia de los Muertos in Patty’s class, it made for a festive introduction.
When asked about her artwork and her favorite color, she shared that she likes “hot colors” like bright pink and orange, a fact which is evident in her work. Her illustrations, completed in acrylic paints, are vibrant and warm and draw you right into the story. I invite parents to stop by and look through her books in the library; they are currently displayed up on the fireplace mantel. Also, your kids might enjoy visiting her website at www.yuyimorales.com. Yuyi’s visit made for a wonderful October morning for our kids and staff.
Later in the day I was privileged to go back to my old “territory” upstairs, the fourth and fifth grade rooms, to support Erainya and Christopher, along with a docent from Hidden Villa, as they helped prepare their classes for their November overnight trip, a fall tradition for these grades. This is a wonderful educational trip and I have many fond memories of walking with kids by the light of the moon, eating breakfast all together in the hostel’s dining room, watching ten-year-olds learn to shovel horse and cow poop (and watching some of them trying very hard to get out of it!) and helping to get dozens of kids settled into their bunks for the night.
Hidden Villa is a special place and, like many places in Northern California, it’s particularly enchanting at this glowing time of year. It’s one of the many wonderful traditions, like the upcoming first and second grade Pumpkin Patch field trip, that make fall at PHS feel extra special. And on that note, it’s time to start thinking about those Halloween costumes. I can hardly wait to see everyone on October 31.
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August 24, 2005
PHS Middle School Readers Invited!
Not Your Mother's Book Club at Books Inc. in Laurel Village will be joining many San Francisco readers by reading and discussing Gus Lee's China Boy as San Francisco's first book for the ONE CITY, ONE BOOK program. Check it out. The next meeting (for students in grades 7 through 12) is Wednesday, September 7th at 6 p.m.
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August 05, 2005
Thank You, Harry Potter!
The next time you're purchasing a book at Books, Inc. in Laurel Village, be sure to say "Thanks!" When the sixth Harry Potter book was released last month, Books Inc. held a midnight extravaganza and donated a portion of the book's sales to our PHS Library.
Thanks to Harry, J.K., and the wonderful booksellers at Books, Inc. we get to add $626.79 to our library budget for 05-06 -- or in other words, about fifty new hardcover books!
Did you attend their event? Are you reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? If so, send me an e-mail, I'd love to hear about it.
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June 28, 2005
NOT YOUR MOTHER'S BOOK CLUB!
Books, Inc. in Laurel Village is proud to introduce a book club just for people in 7th to 12th grade. Club Members will receive exclusive e-vites to great author signings, workshops, chances to win cool prizes and major discounts on selected titles. They will present contemporary books that are edgy, exciting, and definitely not anything you'd ever catch your mom reading. This is NOT YOUR MOTHER'S BOOK CLUB!
KICK OFF PARTY IS THURSDAY, JULY 14th, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Books Inc in Laurel Village. Join them for pizza , goodies, and special guests. Guest authors include: Holly Black (Tithe and Valiant), Libby Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty), Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof), Tracy Lynn (Snow), and more. Show up for this kick-off party and check it out - no commitment required.
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Harry Potter Party
All Potter's Eve is coming soon! Friday night, July 15th, Books Inc in Laurel Village is hosting a Harry Potter Release Party for the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. All purchases made during that event will earn money for our Presidio Hill School Library!
The party is from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 (that's right, past midnight.) There will be a pajama party, goodie bags, deathly drinks & crueldités. Take a little nap that afternoon and plan on attending. Don't forget to tell your friends, too.
Get your copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to round out your summer reading, and support Books, Inc. stores, which have contributed over $50,000 to local schools and non-profits since the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Mayor Gavin Newsom has proclaimed July 15, 2005 as All Potter's Eve in San Francisco! Books can be purchased at 12:01 a.m. on July 16th, and not a minute sooner.
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June 08, 2005
Summer in the PHS Library
The books are piling up! Kids (and parents) are returning their books and I'm busy checking them back in, sending reminders for late books, and re-shelving. (Special thanks to Sherry Kassenbrock for her considerable help with the re-shelving all this year.)
This summer the plan is to finish the data entry of all of our books and videos. My by estimates I'm about three-quarters of the way through and we're nearly at 5000 books catalogued right now! If you're interested in learning how to do the data entry and have a few hours to volutneer this summer, please e-mail me and I'd be happy to show you what to do; it's not difficult, just a little time-consuming.
I will also be ordering and cataloguing new books and other materials and working on some library lessons and policies for 2005-2006. And of course, I'll be working on this weblog - trying to make it helpful and informative for our PHS communit, kids and adults.
Remember, this Saturday, June 11th is the official kick-off of the Summer Reading Club at the San Francisco Public Library. The children's librarian from the Presidio Branch came and spoke to all of our kids about the program. It is a great way to motivate young readers, promote the public libraries, and earn fun "dragon-themed" prizes. Stop by your branch early in the summer to sign up.
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