Elementary Library

●​ Bear thought books about pickles were interesting (page): Turn to a friend and ask them “What kind of books do you think are interesting?” ●​ Bear did not want to be quiet: Why is being quiet in the library important? [Teach appropriate noise levels] ●​ After reading: Bear did not want to borrow a library book because he had so many books at home. What helped Bear find a book he wanted to borrow? [Teach expectation that everyone checks out a book each week, the only exception being unreturned materials.] What can we do if we are struggling to find a book to borrow? We Don’t Eat Our Classmates! By Ryan T. Higgins (E HIG) Penelope Rex is so excited to go to school, but has a hard time fitting in due to biting her classmates. A funny story about respect and classroom friendships. Discussion Prompts: ●​ Have you ever been nervous about starting something new? When? Why? What happened once you began? Was there anything about the experience that you found surprising? ●​ Why does Penelope struggle to make friends? Have you ever found it difficult to make new friends at school? What did you do? ●​ Penelope learns respect and boundaries. How can we be respectful of others in the library? What do we do when others aren’t treating us the right way? Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter (BIO SOR) Luis loves to read and has an overflowing library. He buys two donkeys and becomes a traveling library for children in faraway villages. Discussion Prompts: ●​ When the story begins, Luis has a problem. What is it? What does Luis do to solve this problem? What else could Luis have done instead? How do you know that Luis cares about other people? ●​ How did Luis’s decision to share affect other people? ●​ How do you know that the children in the villages are glad when the Biblioburro arrives? Why are they glad? Why are you grateful for our school library? How can we show the library and each other respect when we are here together? ●​ Why does the author use speech bubbles? What additional information can we find there? ●​ Note at the back: ​ What did we learn about Luis Soriano? Why do you think the author included this information at the end of the book? Why do you think she included a quote from Luis Soriano? The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts (E ROB) Hardly anyone notices the smallest girl in the smallest grade, but she notices everything. When she decides to make herself heard and stand up to bullies, she makes a big difference. Discussion Guide ●​ Cover : Before we read, let’s compare the way the kids’ faces look on the cover to the way they look on the title page. [On the cover children’s faces are happy, and on the title page some children look mean or upset. Notice that “the smallest girl” is watching the unkind kids.] It looks like there are some unkind acts happening in her class. Why do you think the smallest girl has her finger up on the cover? I’m wondering if we can learn any lessons from this book that might help us in our library class. ●​ Hardly anyone noticed…(page) : What is happening on the ground? [Notice the unkind 34