Family Literacy

Did you celebrate Family Literacy this week? I hope someone read a good book to you. I'm currently reading ALPHABET OF DREAMS by Susan Fletcher, an Oregon author. I'm really getting into it. She wrote Shadow Spinner, one of my favorite novels. You can see a list of my favourite titles by scrolling down.

I wanted to share a website with you:
http://www.justonemorebook.com
It's a fun site to explore books, to listen to your favourite author and discover new titles. Have fun listen to just one more book!

Nashville, Tennessee


Last week I visited Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The students were wonderful. It was a treat to briefly visit The Grand Ol' Opry, just to see what it looks like! Emma stood on the steps with me and wished she was a country singer! Tok!

GLOBAL BOOKMARK EXCHANGE


When I was in Pakistan visiting a library, the children were making bookmarks. I suggested that they exchange their bookmarks with a school in North America. One thing led to another and, at this point, hundreds of students in over 23 countries around the world have exchanged handmade bookmarks with each other.
The idea is that each student makes one bookmark and writes one sentence, in English and in any other language they speak, about their favorite book. I have heard wonderful stories from schools where they all went to look at their buddy's favorite book, sharing their own and discussing a variety of good books. You can also combine social studies with language and study the country with which you are matched, use the map, do research, mail each other pins, flags, etc.
Almost daily I get requests from schools to be teamed up for a bookmark exchange. If you are a teacher and would like your class or whole school to participate, this is what you do:
• email me (margriet@margrietruurs.com) and tell me how many students in each grade you have.
• have students make handmade bookmarks as described above.
I will send you the name of a teacher elsewhere in the world. You will email him or her and send the required number of bookmarks via regular mail. Yours will arrive in the mail at some point!

I hope you will participate. I always have a waiting list, so this may take a while. I have many older students (Grade 8 and up) in North America waiting to be teamed. If you are a teacher in another country, I'd love to hear from you!

Happy teaching with books,

Margriet

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a healthy, happy New Year. May it be filled with stories waiting to be told and a cozy place to curl up with good books to read!
2009 started off with a perfect holiday - having our sons home, playing games, laughing a lot. There's too much snow for my taste but did make it all look very pretty.
We are now focusing on home renovations for our booklovers' B & B. I am also gearing up for school and library visits. If you live in the lower mainland and are interested in school visits, I have 2 days available this month.
I'm looking forward to flying to Nashville, TN soon to work with children in a school there.

Happy New Year!