December 11, 2008
THANK YOU! BOOK FAIR A SUCCESS!
Thanks to the volunteers and to the shoppers who made the annual Book Fair another successful one last night. (The overall funds raised won't be finalized for a couple of days at least, but we did very well and had a good time doing so.) THANKS ALSO TO OUR GUEST AUTHORS, ELISSA GUEST AND LESLIE ROBERTS! At this time I am in the middle of processing the dozens of donated books, attempting to make them available to students as early as next Monday! I am particularly excited about our new audiobook collection.
Planning a road trip for the winter break? Stop by and borrow one of the following CD sets we have available in the PHS Library:
If you were not able to attend the book fair or you would like to do even more, please contact me to make a donation of $100 or more towards a new set of World Book Encyclopedia 2009 and the online encyclopedia. Checks should be left blank on the dateline and made out to World Book. Call me or email me with any questions. You might also choose to doate a set from the paper catalog I sent out last week (let me know if you need another copy.) Thanks for your continued and much-needed support of our young readers and our faculty.
Continue reading "THANK YOU! BOOK FAIR A SUCCESS!"
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
December 08, 2008
BOOK FAIR WEDNESDAY NIGHT!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO 8th GRADER MARGARET for her terrific poster design for this year's BOOK FAIR and to Thomas McElhany, the very supportive and helpful manager at Books, Inc. Laurel Village and Roberta Wahl, our PHS PARENT book fair coordinator. I look forward to seeing you there, shopping for books and supporting our young readers. THIS WEDNESDAY 6-9 P.M.!
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
November 21, 2008
BOOK FAIR IS LESS THAN 20 DAYS AWAY!
Start making your shopping lists! The annual
PHS Book Fair at Books Inc. in Laurel Village is coming up on Wednesday, December 10th
from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
This is the perfect opportunity to get some holiday shopping done while supporting the PHS library at the same time. Wine and snacks will be provided, so drop off the kids at PHS for free childcare and come and join us for this wonderful event at our favorite local bookstore.
Books, Inc. will donate 20% of all sales to PHS during the event,
so please invite your freinds, neighbors and relatives, too!
While you're there, look for a special book display (near the magazines section) from which you can choose books to donate directly to the PHS library. We have pre-selected highly desirable books to add to our collection, and you can help expand our collection on this night. Simply choose one or more books to take with you to the register along with your other purchases. Then let the cashier know which books you're donating to PHS. Write your name on a post-it and hand it to the cashier. The donated books will be collected and brought back to school right after the fair, processed for the library, and be available for students soon after the event. A special bookplate will be added to the book identifying you as the generous donor. Thank you for your support of the readers of PHS!
Need book ideas? Lisa Jeli will provide shoppers with a short book list, recommending authors, series, and titles for different grade levels. If you want more specific recommendtions, please email her in advance for more personalized suggestions. Also check out Powells Books, Books Inc and PlanetEsme's sites for great ideas.
Need ideas for adult books? Come to the fair and talk to other PHS parents; they'll have wonderful recommendations for you. Again, you can also check out Powells and others for super recommendations. (Have to plug the fabulous Powells, being from Portland and all!)
Note: Please notify Cherie Lockwood in advance if you need childcare. Childcare wil be available from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at PHS with special book-making activities and a pizza or pasta dinner. If you choose to bring children to the book fair, please supervise them well as the event can become quite crowded and is designed primarily for adults.
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
October 29, 2008
ATTENTION PHS SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS!!
How lucky you are to have Tanya for your humanities teacher! 
The ANCIENT GREEK project sounds like a lot of fun. There are resources available to you in the library to help you with your exploration of this topic.
I have set out related books near the computers.
I have also found the following link to a website you might find helpful.
AND, don't forget to search eLibrary and SIRSDiscoverer (links on right side of this page) for more articles about the god or goddess you are researching. And click HERE for another good web resource!
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
October 17, 2008
Looking for Multicultural Titles?
Shen's Books has a new website.
Shen’s Books is a publisher of multicultural children’s literature that emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance, with a focus on introducing children to the cultures of Asia.
If you have not heard of Shen's Books before, I strongly encourage you to visit their website.
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
October 10, 2008
Horn Book Guide
Twice a year I look forward to receiving my latest edition of the Horn Book Guide in my PHS mailbox. It may only be librarians who get excited about this resource, but I always make my plans to plop down with this weighty guide to children's literature and spend several nights reading the reviews. I use this source, along with several others, in order to make determinations about additions to our PHS collection. Some titles are added to the birthday book lists, some are put on my book fair wish list, and others are ordered directly.
I also read every issue of the Horn Book Magazine, which comes out six times a year; the articles are always intriguing and well written and shed light onto the world of children's literature in a unique way. They also have a website which has some wonderful resources for parents, too.
Our annual PHS Book Fair at Books, Inc. in Laurel Village will be held on Wednesday, December 10th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. I hope to see you there; please mark it on your calendar and plan for some holiday shopping to support our young readers.
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
September 15, 2008
WELCOME BACK ! LIBRARY OPENS MONDAY 9/22!
PHS Library! On this blog I will try to update you on literary events and resources throughout the Bay Area, in addition to keeping you informed about the library here at Presidio Hill School. Check in weekly for updates!
Check out the link to the San Francisco Public Library (on right.) They currently have a great exhibit happening at the Main Library. 
KIDS LOVE POP-UP BOOKS! Robert Sabuda, one of the masters of this form, is currently exhibiting 60 colorful and fanciful illustrations and intricate pop up books in this exhibit. Related to this exhibit, there are events happening at the Main Library and at several different branches.
ALL EVENTS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY ARE FREE!!!
On Saturday, September 20th, explore Pop-up Bookmaking with artist Dolores Gray at the Main Library at 2:00 p.m. for ages 6-12. Space is limited. Call 557-4554. Class repeats at the Chinatown branch on Thursday, September 25th. Call 355-2889.
On Thursday, September 23rd, the San Francisco Center for the Book will present The History of Pop-Up Bookmaking. 5:30 p.m. in the Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room at the Main Library.
Tuesday, October 23rd, try some Origami Bookmaking with Peter Linenthal at Golden Gate Valley Branch at 1801 Green St. (at Octavia) Ages 6 and older. Space is limited. Call 355-5666
Tuesday, October 7, check out Fun & Funky Books (ages 6 & older) with C.J. Grossman a the Ocean Veiw Branch. Call 355-5615.
Saturday, October 18, Fiendish Flexagons (Ages 8 & older) with C.J. Grossman at the Orgega Branch. Call 355-5700
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
July 01, 2008
SUMMER READING
Although many people believe that summer is for light reading and not necessarily the time to delve into the grimy and grim world of U.S. child labor history, the first book I have completed this summer is the wonderful Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop. The compelling picture (see full photo on right) on the book's cover draws you in immediately, and I kept referring back to it - to her - as I read each chapter. The portrait was taken by Lewis Hine, an important American photographer who photographed child laborers in the early 1900s. The picture is of a young girl who worked in a textile mill in New England instead of attending school, and the character of Grace was inspired by that photograph. Grace tells her story in a realistic and captivating voice - a story of wanting an education but feeling bound to the hard life of work in the mill along with the rest of her family. It's a terrific piece of historical fiction and there are links to child labor history and Lewis Hine's photographs at the back of the book. Highly recommended for grades 4th and up. The Library of Congress collections of Hine photographs are cataloged here: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/207-b.html
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
May 09, 2008
The Battle of the Labyrinth in Bookstores Now!
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan, the fourth book in the wildly popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series came out on Tuesday, and I've already seen several students carting their copies around this week. I guess I should get a copy for the library asap!
Rick will be here on Friday, May 16th for an assembly for 2nd through 8th graders. He will sign copies of his books, so bring 'em along. Most PHS readers already know this, but Rick used to teach language arts in our PHS middle school several years back. It's always a thrill to welcome him back as a very special guest author.
There is a GREAT new Percy Jackson website worth checking out. If you haven't started the series yet, you are in for a treat!
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
April 15, 2008
MY FAVORITE BLOG
Maybe you'll like this one too. Check it out. It's my favorite blog about children's books and instilling a love of reading. It's called The PlanetEsme Plan. Esme Raji Codell is a former teacher & librarian, current author, and the creator of both this terrific blog and the Gingerbread Apartment (bookroom/private library) in Chicago. Click HERE for a great description of what sounds like a very magical place. Her book Sahara Special is really wonderful, and I check her site regularly to keep up-to-date on all the best books.
Remember, only half of NATIONAL POETRY MONTH is over, so there is plenty of time to share and enjoy some poetry with your famiy, or all by yourself!
Posted by Lisa J | Comments (0)
