Be a Spooky Sleuth in "Midnight at the Barclay Hotel"

    Do you like a story with mystery and ghosts?  Midnight at the Barclay Hotel has just the right mix of twists and turns to keep you guessing.  When the rich Mr. Barclay is murdered, five suspects are summoned to the hotel to determine which one of them is the culprit.  Two kids come along, one who is determined to prove that ghosts are real, and one that doesn't believe in ghosts.  Along with a third child they meet at the hotel will they be able to figure out what happened to Mr. Barclay?

Take off with Skandar

 If you are looking for a thrilling fantasy that has hints of Harry Potter then look no further!  Skandar and the Unicorn Thief follows Skandar as he trains to be a unicorn rider.  

Watch out, these unicorns can be fierce and a unicorn that is born without the training of a rider becomes wild and dangerous.  Skandar must discover his own powers, navigate friendships in his quartet, and keep himself and his community safe from the Weaver.  Don't miss this one!

What's New?

         Can you imagine a robot living only on an island like a wild animal?  Well that is the idea in the book "The Wild Robot."  Roz is programmed to serve humans, but when she gets washed up on an uninhabited island she has to make her own shelter and learn about all the animals there.  At first the animals are afraid of her, but through her kindness she gradually earns their trust.  Give this one a try!

         What are you reading right now?  What was the biggest surprise in the book so far?

Travel Somewhere New in a Book

          Have you ever read a book about a far away place or time and felt like you were really there?  Right now I am reading "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani and I am experiencing the division of India and Pakistan after the end of British rule.  I did not know that when India gained independence from Britain that people were separated into Pakistan or India based on their religion.  It was a dangerous time for many people.  Nisha tells her story of leaving her home and being forced to move.  But where does she belong when she is half Hindu and half Muslim?

What have you read that took you to another place or time?  Where was it?
Click on “no comments” below to make your reply.

Book for the Cold

On a cold snowy day I love to curl up with a good book.  I'm just finishing up "Mutt's Promise" today.  In this story the four puppies are sold to different places, some loving and some cruel.  I am wondering if they will be reunited at the end of the story or if they will ever the see the boy who first took care of them again.

Have you been reading any of the Great Stone Face nominees?  Remember you have until April to read some of the selections when the voting will take place.

Be a Super Digital CItizen

There are so many different things to keep in mind when you are a Super Digital Citizen.  Use diigo to highlight all of the ways that you are already a good citizen in green and use yellow for things that you need to work on or learn about.  At the end of the post leave a comment about one way you will try to improve your digital citizen skills this year.

I keep my passwords private

I balance my time online and offline

I treat others respectfully online

If someone is bothering me online I tell an adult

I know how to block or report someone in an online game or community

I can communicate with others online without revealing personal information

I ask others for permission before posting photos of them

I think about if things that I post would be something I would still want to see five or ten years from now

I tell a teacher when something is wrong with one of the chromebooks

I plug in devices after I return them to the cart

I know how to sign out of my accounts

I do not change the wallpaper or settings on the chromebook

I know how to use the comment feature to work with others on a google doc or slideshow

I give credit to websites and books that I use for information in a project

I know where to find pictures that are approved for use in my projects

I give credit to the source of my images

I only share my work to the people I am supposed to

What Are You Reading?

I hope your summer has been full of fun outside and that you had the chance to get in some reading.  We have some great new books in the library right now.  There's Oliver and the Seawigs about a boy who goes an ocean adventure to rescue his Mom and Dad, but he must outsmart an evil captain and his army of sea monkeys.

You might want to try The Notebook of Doom Collection where Alex and his friends form the Super Secret Monster Patrol to protect the town from all kinds of monsters.

If you like I Survived then you can check out our newest I Survived book: The Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79.

Leave a comment to tell me the best thing you read this summer and one thing you hope we will do in library this year.