Crazy Train

Not book related, but this is a really fun video of kids having a blast making music.

"Crazy Train" (Yes, THAT Crazy Train)
How about some "Crazy Train" ... on mallet and other percussion ... played by kids ...??? THIS ROCKS! And you can see their director Diane Downs, Kelsey Lee, the assistant director and some of the kids from the program in our interview right here: http://bit.ly/Louisville-Leopards-DTTV-InterviewThey are The Louisville Leopard Percussionists!
Posted by Drum Talk TV on Sunday, April 12, 2015

And the winners are...

During Children's Book Week, all the students at the South made Top 5 Book Lists.  I tallied all their votes and here are the winners for each grade level!  These lists make great suggestions for what to read this summer.  We're also trying to make sure that our school library has every single one of these books!  

Fourth Grade Winners:

Wonder

The One and Only Ivan

Who is... Series

I Survived... Series

James and the Giant Peach

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Harry Potter Series

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Because of Mr. Terupt

Ella Enchanted

Fifth Grade Winners:

Number the Stars

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Wonder

Tuck Everlasting

Divergent Series

Hunger Games Series

Because of Winn-Dixie

Dork Diaries Series

Maniac Magee

Castle in the Attic

Sixth Grade Winners:

Hunger Games Series

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

The Fault in Our Stars

If I Stay

Black Ships Before Troy

Divergent Series

Harry Potter Series

Big Nate Series

Hatchet

Percy Jackson Series

Did we miss any important books you love? Leave a comment and let me know what you'd add!

Ok, so it's Tuesday...

But, what are you reading?

I put Moon Over Manifest on hold for a few days in order to read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.  This is a book that we are hoping every class will do together some time soon!  I read it as a fifth grader, but wanted to reread it in order to refresh my memory.  I'm enjoying at much now, as I did back then!  It's the story of a mouse, Mrs. Frisby, and her great adventure to try to save her son, who is very ill.  She meets a crow, an owl, and an entire colony of very special rats! Although I haven't had a ton of reading time this past week, every time I pick this book up, I have a hard time putting it back down.  I can't wait to finish it!

Now for my favorite part: your turn!  What are you reading this week?  Leave a comment and you might win a free book!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Congratulations Zaria and Matteo!  You were the winners from last week, so you'll get to pick out a book in school tomorrow!  I can't wait to see what you pick.

I am still reading Moon Over Manifest.  I am really enjoying it.  It has great characters and a really interesting story line.  I love books that take place in two different time periods, like Holes and The Orphan Train.  I love seeing how the two stories that seem to be totally separate finally connect!  While I'm definitely enjoying it, it's not moving quite as quickly as the past couple books I've read.  I'm about half way through, and I hope to finish it some time this week.

What are you reading?  Leave a comment and you could win a free book!

Children's Book Week

This week is Children's Book Week!  All over the country, people are taking time this week to celebrate all the amazing books out there that are written for children.  Picture books, chapter books, young adult novels, fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, poetry - it all counts as reading and it's all worth celebrating!




At the South, we started celebrating with Top 5 Tuesday! All the kids and adults had a chance to create their Top 5 Favorite Books list!  It's amazing what great taste these kids have!  

All of the individual lists are going to be combined into official Top 10s for each grade!  In fourth grade alone, 150 different books were chosen as favorites, including some great series like Among the Hidden and Geronimo Stilton.  Check back soon for the official lists!

Today we celebrated "What Are You Reading?" Wednesday!  Everyone at the South wore a name tag that listed what they're reading right now.  There were so many great discussions about books happening in the halls, cafeteria, and classrooms.  

Hopefully those conversations can continue even when we aren't wearing our books on our shirts!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday again!!  Along with my 2015 book challenge, I'm also trying to read the Newberry Medal winners and honor books from the past few years. Last week I read Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo.  It was wonderful!  Such an original story with totally quirky characters. I absolutely loved it!

Yes, that's my bed.

Yesterday I started reading Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool.  It's the story of a young girl (I think she's about 10 or 11, but I'm not sure yet) who is sent to live in a town called Manifest during the Great Depression.  Pretty much as soon as she gets there, she discovers a box of secret letters all about a spy who was thought to be in the town 18 years earlier, during World War I.  The main character and her friends decide to go on a pretend spy hunt, but then things get very real when 

she gets a threatening note to back off!  I can't wait to keep reading once Alex goes to sleep!

Ok, now it's your turn to tell me what you're reading in the comments!  Remember, two South School students who comment by Friday will win a free book!  

Happy Reading!!