HIT: Starting off the year

[Gloria Pitsley <Glolyn@AOL.COM>]

Dear LM_Netters:
Thanks so much to the overwhelming response to my questions regarding starting
off the year and book care!  Following are the wonderful ideas I received.
Thanks again!

I like to use the book I Took My Frog to the Library--can't remember the
author.  One of the most fun things I do on book care is to have the 1st
graders pantomime something one might do with a book and have the others
try to guess it, as well as tell me if it is a "thumbs up" or "thumbs
down."  Sometimes I take pictures so we can guess again the next week.

I read a good idea, on LM_NET I think.  It was to dress a book as a baby
(bonnet and diaper).  Ask such things as Would you throw a baby on the
floor?  Would you leave a baby out in the rain? etc.
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Here are a few other books you might like to check out:

_ The Tale of Thomas Mead by Pat Hutchins.Greenwillow, 1980.
This is a real personal favorite, the kind of book I'd rescue first if the
library were burning down! It's a cautionary tale about Thomas Mead the boy
who couldn't read. He encounters all kinds of trouble because he can't tell
PUSH
from PULL or LADIES from GENTS, etc. and even lands in jail.
Told in rhymed verses with a great refrain, this works as a great rap, too.
It's a Greenwillow Read-Alone book. I made a few transparencies for
the overhead so that I could better share some of the artwork.

_I Like Books_ by Anthony Browne. Knopf, 1988.
I love to use this simple concept book with Kindergarten and first graders. It
offers
a great way to introduce students to the varieties of book available
in the library. It reads something like "I like books. Counting books
and ABC books. Coloring books. Nursery rhymes and song books. Fat
books. Thin books. Books about pirates, etc. I usually have the
students respond with some simple physical activity (snap fingers, wave hand,
or
stand up) when I get to their favorite kind of book. Hopefully, they
like lots of different kinds of books!

 _Library Lil_ by Suzanne Williams. Illus. by Steven Kellogg (Dial,
1997) - I just got my copy of this book and haven't shared it yet,
but it looks like great fun. Lil the librarian reminds everyone about reading
when
the town's power goes off, but Bust-em-up Bill, the tatooed leader of the
local motorcycle gang, has other ideas. A tall tale with a librarian as
heroine!

_The Library_ by Sarah Stewart. Illus. by David Small (Farrar, 1995)
I wish I had my copy of this book here at home and I could quote some
of the witty rhymed verse. The story of the bookish Elizabeth Brown,
from infancy to old age, is a heart-warming and appealing story for
all book-lovers. I was especially pleased to discover my students
enjoyed it as much as I did!

Regarding your question about teaching book care, check the LM_NET
archives for the "BOOK DOCTOR" idea. I've been taking about book care
for ten years, and this was THE most effective way of presenting this
information. My library clerk dressed up as our book doctor and we
hammed it up a bit for fun.(We actually observed a moment of silence
for the deceased book!) Kids still got the message, and appreciated the
humorous way it was presented.

For the first time ever we had students willing admit to their own book
damages! They would walk in and announce, "This book needs to see the book
doctor." I think the idea of a book doctor gives them a sort of face-saving
out.
Try it! Hope this helps.
******************************************
I have seen a cute book called Library LiL( I think it's by Steven Kellogg). I
believe there is also a cute  book out entitled Tomas and the Library Lady.

   Last year when I taught book care, I totally trashed several old books. I
trashed each one in a different way. I asked the children what they thought
caused the damage to each individual book. (One I dropped in mud, one I
spilled grape juice on, etc.) Good luck to you this year!
*********************************************
For book care, I adapted an idea that I think I read about on LM_NET last
year, along with an idea from some teacher magazine.  My husband is a
physician, so I borrowed one of his lab coats, and an old medical bag and
stethoscope.  I made myself an nametag that says "Dr. Booklove".  I have a
supply of mistreated books that I keep on hand to use with book care
lessons each fall.  When the class comes in, I am in my "Dr. Booklove"
character, and immediately rush into the library as if there were an
emergency.  I really ham it up good--"Oh, dear--it's a book emergency--this
book just came in and I don't know if it can be saved.  Can you sit down
and try to help me?" etc. etc.  I get out the stethoscope and "listen" for
a "bookbeat".  Finally, it's pronounced "dead", and we talk about how it
could have been saved.  The kids really love it, and also try to get into
the act.  I have some book care bookmarks that I give out also.  This idea
has worked well for me!
***************************************
 I used to read "Tell Me Some More" to 1st graders.  It's by Crosby
Bonsall.  In it, a little boy tells his pal about a marvelous place where he
can hold a camel in his hand--the library.
   For book care, I displayed "horrible examples" of books that had been
chewed, soaked, and burned, and let the children tell me how each
catastrophe could be avoided.
*****************************************

Sammy and Sophie's Library Sleep Over (sorry I forget the author / book's
at school) is a good one to use with kindergarten and grade one.  It deals
with book care.

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I don't know if you're familiar with Judy Freeman's books, but she has a
couple of suggestions for book care lessons in them.  I was lucky enough
to intern with her, and so I witnessed the lessons and their success
firsthand.  She has a song (from Hi Ho Librario) that explains the need
to care from the book's point of view.  Judy also does a No, no
never...(read in the tub, etc.).  Anyhow, I'm going to be in a middle
school this year and I'm planning on incorporating some of her lessons.

Oh - sorry, the other two books are Books Kids Will Sit Stil For and More
Books...

Another thought...I'm sure you've seen a lot of damaged books.  I've been
keeping damaged books in a box and I plan on using them to illustrate the
No, no nevers.  I'm thinking of having the kids guess how each book was
damaged.
************************************************
When I did elementary a few years ago we actually saved the books that were
chewed on by the dog, colored in, etc. Showed them as examples of what can
happen. Made a bigger impact to see the results rather than just talking
about them.
************************************************
I no longer work in a K-8 school, but when I did, I used an idea that I had
gotten I believe from this listserv for teaching bookcare to children. Dress
up a book in a diaper. ( I also had my artistic older daughter draw me a
baby face with a bonnett on it, which I attatched to one of our shelf
markers and had that protruding from the book to look like the head and neck
of an infant. You then have a discussion with kids about things you wouldn't
do to a baby (i.e. leave in the middle of the floor, where someone might
trip over; leave outside overnight; leave outside in the rain; throw at
another person) basically anything you can think that kids might do to a
book that would cause damage and that you want to highlight for them. My
kids LOVED this lesson! At Open House, kids were dragging their parents into
the library and parents were commenting on the "baby your books" idea that
their children had obviously told them about. It was very easy to cue kids
during the year with "Are you babying that book?" They got the message
instantly and pulled themselves back on track. I've also seen (but never put
into action myself) a skit where you dress as a doctor and wheel out a cart
of books under a sheet. You talk about how you just came from the book
hospital and saw some pretty bad cases. Then you pull out examples of
various types of book damage and paint a scenario for the kids about how
that particular damage may have happened. In the presentation I saw, the
fellow was a real ham and it was quite funny. His final piece was to pull
out a black "shroud" and cover a really bad book all the while lamenting "
Oh I'm afraid this one didn't make it".
****************************************
I used the Arthurs lost library book" video with third grade as fun and a
reminder.
I also go over the box of 'horribles' as to what they would NOT do with
library books (Don't use a pbj sandwich as a bookmark)

***************************************
There's a Kimmel (Eric?) loosely titled "I took My Frog to the Library".
***************************************
OCLC put out a video a few years ago called "The Electronic (or Electric,
I can't remember which) Library" which would appeal to all kids.   An
actor posing as Benjamin Franklin takes the audience through the history
of libraries, from the beginning to the present day, complete with OPACs.
  It's quite enjoyable, and it was not that expensive (under $50).

I believe that OCLC also had a video on book care, but I can't recall the
title.

I'm at home, on vacation, so I don't have any OCLC or video information
with me, but I hope this helps!
**************************************************
Also good is "the Library" by stewart
It is about the elizabeth brown library
*************************

Gloria Pitsley
Library/Media teacher
Beacon CSD
Beacon, NY (about 1 1/4 hrs. north of NYC along the beautiful Hudson river)
glolyn@aol.com

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