PASSIONATE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Well, here we are, more than two years on from when I first started this journey investigating how to build a reading culture. I never could have imagined where this journey would take me.
I’ve looked at organisational culture research, culture change research and methodology, reading culture research, and tools for measure reading culture. I also used those tools to measure our reading culture starting point.
Every Time You Go Away
– Abigail Johnson –
Inkyard Press
Published 5 December 2023
♥♥♥♥♥
Abigail Johnson writes the most beautiful stories of resilient characters. She’s one of my favourite authors. And I’ve always wondered if she would ever write a story with a wheelchair using character, being a wheelchair user herself. She is very clear, this is not autobiographical, but she brings the same depth, heart and beautiful writing style to this story as she has done with all her previous books. I loved every page of Every Time You Go Away.
Do you put together an annual report for your school library? I think it is an important task to complete each year and sometimes I even create term reports, if I think they are needed. Annual reports are a fantastic advocacy tool for your school library, but they are also a wonderful way to collect data, make comparisons and reflections about your library service and can help in setting goals for the future directions of your library.
This semester in English, the Year 7 students are studying Fantasy. It’s a genre I love reading myself and I love that we don’t allocate them a class novel, instead the students can pick anything from the genre – graphic novel, novel, manga, short story – to read for the semester. They can read multiple books or just stick with one. They also do a film study and a creative writing piece. It’s a fun unit that has changed over time and I love where it is heading. Because I see each class once a fortnight, I can tie my library lessons into their fantasy unit.
The Search for Us
– Susan Azim Boyer –
Wednesday Books
Published 24 October 2023
♥♥♥♥
The Search For Us is a compelling realistic fiction novel, light on romance and full of beautiful themes of finding your identity and family.
LEGO In Focus: Explore the Miniature World of LEGO Photography
– LEGO –
Chronicle Books
Published 4 October 2022
♥♥♥♥♥
LEGO, such versatile stuff. And a book featuring LEGO makes such a beautiful coffee table book, glossy photos into another world. There are lots of beautiful books that feature LEGO creations. Beautiful LEGO is one of my favs and now LEGO in Focus is right there with it.
Just as things are starting to head towards the end of the school year in the Southern Hemisphere, things are just kicking into high year in the northern parts of the world. The pace seems to be the same, either way – full speed ahead. Looking for some PD to help keep you up-to-date and inspired to face each day? Here is your list of professional learning opportunities for school library staff for November 2023. Highlights this month include lots of shared slides, resources and notes from the AASL23 conference. Happy learning.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate over my school library career to have had some amazing mentors. People I’ve worked with, people I’ve learnt from, people I can turn to when I have a question or just need to talk out a situation. Having mentors has allowed me to discuss, plan and set goals. It’s helped me to look beyond my skills and experience and gain a whole new perspective, drawing on their years of wisdom and experience. Having mentors, both formal and informal, has made a significant impact in my professional life and I highly recommend identifying mentors for any school library professional.
Here’s a few things I’ve learnt from my mentors, what I have learnt about having a mentor, how to get a mentor and how to get the most from a mentor.
LEGO Heroes: LEGO Builders Changing Our World – One Brick At A Time
– Graham E. Hancock –
Chronicle Books
Published 16 May 2023
♥♥♥♥♥
I am a massive fan of LEGO, the LEGO story and how play is integral to both. We all know that LEGO can be used in many different ways and as creatively as your imagination allows, but did you know that LEGO can help make a prosthetic arm or rebuild a reef? Continue reading
Non-fiction has been a bit of a hot topic in school library discussions in recent months and for good reason. On one hand we are embracing genrefication and challenging the status quo of using problematic library layout systems and on the other hand school librarians are investigating the importance of non-fiction and its place in the school library.
I believe that a beautiful, vibrant non-fiction collection is vital for all school libraries for students of all ages.
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