Nancy Cavanaugh, "Elsie Mae has Something to Say"

Another Opportunity to Shine

The girls had an great time this morning discussing Kate T. Parker's book, "Strong is the New Pretty." We discussed strength in all of its various types, we talked about the layout of Kate's book, and we worked on our questions for the book club exclusive meeting with Kate tonight!      


                               

We all enjoyed strong mind and body fueling snacks.  The girls had a great time creating their own images of #davisstrong.

We are very excited to be reading "Elsie Mae has Something to Say" by Nancy Cavanaugh next!  Our next book club meeting is on October 30th at 7:30 am in the LS Media Center.  Just to up the excitement a little we are very pleased to announce that Nancy Cavanaugh will be visiting the Davis Academy next week on Tuesday, September 26 courtesy of Foxtale Book Shoppe!  You may order your books for this event here.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/12DGGuHe8wsaT_vTGiFMF-LZWp5jv4DULUAvl1iWUGzg/edit?usp=sharing

Elsie Mae is pretty sure this’ll be the best summer ever. She gets to explore the cool, quiet waters of the Okefenokee Swamp around her grandparents’ house with her new dog, Huck, and she’s written a letter to President Roosevelt that she’s confident will save the swamp from a shipping company and make her a major hometown hero. What’s more, Elsie Mae gets wind of hog bandits stealing from swamper families, and she sees another opportunity to make her family proud while waiting to hear back from the White House.

But when her cousin Henry James, who dreams of one day becoming a traveling preacher like his daddy, shows up and just about ruins her investigation with his “Hallelujahs,” Elsie Mae will learn the hard way what it really means to be a hero.

Historical Fiction full of mystery and adventure. A book that will take readers on a trip they’ll never forget.                                   

Welcome back!

Welcome back! We have a TREAT for you! We are SO excited to be kicking off our 2017-18 4th/5th grade girls book club with Strong is the New Pretty by Kate Parker. Kate will be visiting us on Monday night, September 18th at 7:00PM. We hope you will join us! Please visit davisacademy.org/events to reserve your seat.

Our first book club meeting will take place on Monday, 9/18 at 7:30am in the LS Media Center. We will have breakfast treats that tie into the theme of the book, discussion and activities.  

If you would like to check out a Kindle from the LS media center to read the month's book club book, please have a parent complete this form, which can be turned into the Media Center.  

5th Graders: If you would like to bring in your own e-Reader for book club, please complete the Acceptable Use Policy Form and return it to Lauren Ward. 

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

We had SO much fun making magic and discussing The Girl Who Drank the Moon today! Our next pick is My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison. For a sneak peek, see below:

We will meet on Tuesday morning, May 9th for a breakfast book club! Copies can be checked out from our school library or your local public library. It's a great read!

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

To say that we had fun discussing Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu would be an understatement! It was so.much.fun. Our next pick is EXCITING (all caps kind of exciting)! We voted on the Newbery winning book! Every person that we (teachers and students) know that have read this book say the same thing: it is amazing. The book is The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. For an interview with the author, see the video below:

We will meet on Monday, March 20th during lunch and recess. Physical and digital copies can be checked out from the media center and from your local public library. Don't miss out on reading this extraordinary book!

Up Next: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Thank you to all the girls that came yesterday to chat about The Meaning of Maggie. We had so much fun! We are going to reschedule the author's visit for Monday, May 22nd and make it a Mother/Daughter book club event. Mark your calendar! 

For our next pick, we are discussing Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. We will meet on Monday, February 6th to discuss the book! Here are just a few of the awards that it has won:

Awards and Honors

Amazon.com Book of the Year
Bank Street Best Children’s Books
Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book
Capitol Choices 2012 List
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Reading List
Indie Next pick
Junior Library Guild selection
NCTE 2012 Notable Children’s Books in the English Language Arts
New York Public Library’s 100 Books for Reading and Sharing
NPR Backseat Book Club, December 2011
Publishers Weekly Book of the Year
School Library Journal Book of the Year

You have lots of reading time coming up since winter break is approaching. We have some copies on hand in the media center or please feel free to check out a copy from your local public library. Enjoy!

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

We had such an AWESOME turn out at our last book club discussing the powerful story The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley! Our next pick is another impactful story by Megan Jean Sovern entitled The Meaning of Maggie. Save the date for Monday, December 19th at 12:40 in the media center. You won't want to miss this one! Books can be checked out from our library in ebook format or print copies or from your local public library.

We had a wonderful time at our last book club!  I think everyone loved discussing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 

The next book for the Stars of Davis Book Club is The War that Saved My Life, and we'll be meeting during 6th period on Monday, November 7!  

The War that Saved My Life is easily my favorite read from last year!  It's the story of a girl with true strength.  Ada was born with a physical abnormality that prevented her from taking part in a normal childhood.  Every day, she watched through a tiny window as her younger brother played on the streets with his friends while she could not leave their tiny, dirty upstairs apartment.  

The war came to Europe, and London, where they lived, was an easy target.  Parents in London were urged to send their children to the countryside for safety.  Ada's mother was only going to send her younger brother.  Through strength and determination, Ada escaped London and her mother.  You will not be disappointed in this amazing historical read, which has such a happy ending!


Don't forget if you would like to check out a Kindle from the LS media center to read the month's book club book, please have a parent complete this form, which can be turned into the Media Center.  

5th Graders: If you would like to bring in your own e-Reader for book club, please complete the Acceptable Use Policy Form and return it to Lauren Ward. 

A Newbery Honor Book
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School)
Winner of the Josette Frank Award
Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015
New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books 2015
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2015
Kirkus Best Books of 2015
Horn Book Fanfare Book 2015 

"Achingly lovely . . . Nuanced and emotionally acute, this vivid tale from the wartime home front will have readers ages 10-14 wincing at Ada's stumbles and rejoicing to the point of tears in her victories."—The Wall Street Journal

* “Ada's voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity. . . . Things come to an explosive head, metaphorically and literally. Ignorance and abuse are brought to light, as are the healing powers of care, respect and love. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration.”—Kirkus, starred review

* "Proving that her courage and compassion carry far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Involving, poignant, nuanced . . . This is a feel-good story, but an earned one . . . distinct and powerful in its own right."—The Horn Book, starred review

"There is much to like here—Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive."—School Library Journal