Celebrate great books, come on!

Apologies to Kool and the Gang, but this song is just asking for some new lyrics, preferably ones related to books and reading.  Are you in?  Have you got skills like Poe? Let me know.  Do you have the time for a rhyme?  Can you improve mine?

"Read a book!

Come on!  Let's read a book!

There's some reading going on 'round here.

It's a celebration to last throughout the years.

So bring your nonfiction and your fiction too.

We're gonna grab a book, and do some reading with you.

Come on!

Read a book!

We'll all grab a book and read 'til its through."

(Apologies once again to Kool and the Gang.  Their song Celebration deserves a much better lyricist than me!)

Why all this book-enthused joy?  I am still buzzing with excitement from the ALA Youth Media Awards!  On Monday at 8:45, I was watching the live stream on my laptop in the hallway, outside of a classroom where I had just been making a VoiceThread with students.  (On Mondays I am an ITS in a different building then where I am a school librarian.) 

I was too excited to risk falling off the wireless and losing my Internet connection to walk down three flights of stairs and through two hallways. So there I sat as students, teachers, aides, learning center staff and inclusion staff walked past.  My cheers, whoops and occasional claps brought smiles.

I have been anticipating Monday's announcements for quite a few weeks, but especially since my first graders placed their Caldecott votes on Friday.  I cannot wait to share the official results with them. 

Caldecott Medal  

Medal Winner: 

A Ball for Daisy -- illustrated and written by Chris Raschka

Honor Books:

Blackout -- illustrated and written by John Rocco

Grandpa Green -- illustrated and written by Lane Smith

Me … Jane -- illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell

My first graders top two choices received Caldecott Honors and the Caldecott Medal winner was their fourth choice overall.  Not bad odds for a bunch of six-year-old children!  Read about all the awards.

In the "day-after-the-awards-announcements" blues I remind myself, "only 11 months and 28 more days to wait," I better start reading!