Swap updates....

I just signed up for a new swap with Chaotic Goddess swaps.

Check it out and sign up, before the deadline. 

Find the link here.:

http://cgswaps.blogspot.com/2014/02/mug-o-comfort-swap-signups.html

I just finished my slant box swap with my new friend Kristi Deroche from LA. She is awesome, and hope to stay in touch for a long time to come. I can't wait to share my slant

Box package from my other partner, Arielle. I will share the reveal as soon as it arrives.

 

This is my latest swap update I am also resigning up for the month of March through Slant box so happy to have Jamison back, we've missed you. Smooch!

Happy Reading and Swapping,

Tula Shamhart

Presidents Day And So Much More....

This week in the library we were busy, busy, busy! Presidents Day gave us a day off but we had to make up for lost time in learning about my hero...Abe Lincoln. I grew up in Illinois so for me I learned all about Abraham Lincoln much like the kiddo's in Kansas learn about Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Then our kindergarten friends also, enjoyed the books called Snow Day by Barbara Joose and The Snowy Day By Ezra Jack Keats. These are wonderful books and fit into our story time perfectly since we have been experiencing so much snow lately. We have even been able to enjoy several snow days.
The students were able to make connections with the characters in the story as well as brainstorming what types of things they enjoy doing on a "Snow Day".

Our first grade classes worked on their non fiction book reports this week in the library. We selected from over 25 different farm animals. It has been a lot of fun learning about our animals. We selected and read our books, then shared our books with a partner.

We began writing on our graphic organizer this week and will finish up next week. Can't wait to see the final product and read their book reports. This project always makes my heart sing. I can see just how much they have grown.

Our fact of the week was offered by Cameron and Mrs. Hagedorn as they read through Cameron's book on The Ostrich.

 

Our Spotlight Book is a wonderful book about...you guessed it snow, snow and more snow!

I love this story. Katie And The Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton.

 

 

 Winter Read-a-thon...

We have had our first friend turn in their reading log for the winter read-a-thon. Way to go, friend.

 

I kind of love this! 

My current read has been wonderful and yes I am going to reccommend it to you.

This weekend I finished up the book Starry Night By Debbie Macomber.

I am a huge fan of Macomber's and this book didn't let me down. It was a short little book.

I had it on reserve since December at the library and it finally came in. Even though I felt like this was a holiday book, it was so short, I didn't mind reading it now. Although, typically, I am one of those that likes to read holiday books around the holidays to get me into the spirit, (ha! like I really need any help).

Carrie Slayton is a successful writer for the Chicago Herald, but she feels trapped in the job, and the city. ( I love Chicago and it's my home, totally couldn't relate to this). She wanted a role as a journalist, covering real stories, not weddings and the society page. And, she misses her family in Seattle as holiday season approaches. However, when she begs her boss for a real assignment, he sends her on a quest. Come back from Alaska with an interview with reclusive author Finn Dalton, and she can call her shots at the newspaper. Carrie's determined to make that happen.

It will take a determined reporter to break into Finn Dalton's life. But, Carrie Slayton is desperate, and she has a secret weapon. She talked to Finn's estranged mother. But, that may prove to be a hindrance rather than a help because Finn has bitter feelings toward the mother who deserted him.  It's going to take more than determination to reach Finn Dalton's heart. It's going to take a Starry Night in Alaska.
This book was short, sweet and romantic. Enjoy!

My next book I am just beginning is called Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty.

I loved the last book Husbands Secret so much I wanted another one of her books. So, Here I go.

The premise to this story is about 3 sisters, triplets, celebrating their 33 birthdays and what life brings.

I am looking forward to getting started. It is chic lit at it's finest. I will give you my review next week.

My high school aide Hannah reading with one of our friends: 

 

32 Great Reasons to Read a Good Book.

Here are 32 great reasons to read more books.
To escape your normal life.
To travel to real destinations.
To explore new worlds.
To imagine more than you could on your own.
To understand something new.
To understand something old.
To connect with the author.
To connect with other readers.
To dream a new life.
To compare dreams, realities, and in-between.
To laugh and enjoy.
To deepen your understanding and insight.
To know more than you could learn on your own.
To learn what you don’t know.
To learn what you do know.
To discover something extraordinary.
To meet incredible characters.
To build a larger vocabulary.
To cry after a great read.
To be entertained by a great story.
To relax with a great storyteller.
To stimulate thought.
To grow your spirit.
To find motivation to do more.
To go on a great adventure.
To learn how others live or have lived.
To expand your horizons.
To explore inner dimensions.
To educate yourself.
To inspire your own writing.
To learn how to change the world.
To discuss in a reading group.
To share a good book with your friends.


Happy Reading,
Mrs. Shamhart

Notice my new swap through chaotic godess swaps. Love these swaps and the ladies who put it together. Sign up you will love it.

Love is in the air...Valentines Day, Good Friends and Good Byes.

Happy Valentines Day!

May you always have love in your heart and a book in your hands.

 

This week in the library, you guessed it we talked about Valentines Day and friendship. We read some of my most favorite Valentines Day books. 

 We did some brainstorming about Valentines Day, friendship and acceptance. We made connections and shared our thoughts and ideas. Some of these brainstorm sessions take off in an unexpected way. We had some real fun laughing and sharing this week over some of our fun valentine ideas.

It's never been more true, what they say "Out of the mouths of babes".  Thanks for the giggles this week friends!

We shared valentines and oh my goodness did I get some amazing valentines. Each year they seem to get more and more creative, I love it. I got so many valentines, see my haul here: 

But one of my friends knows we have a connection not just to books, but to our nails. She got me a valentine that included a bottle of my favorite OPI nail polish!!!! Here's a picture after I did my nails using my favorite red polish by OPI, Big Apple Red. What do you think Rylee?

 But I have to say I was very excited when my husband surprised me with a dozen roses, he is pretty amazing. I am a very lucky lady to have so many people think of me during this special day.

I know my gifts for my husband were heartfelt even though they weren't as amazing as his gifts. They may even need a little explanation...heehee. Well he is actually watching what he eats and I was trying to encourage the healthy eating. He has one cheat day, every 2 weeks where he enjoys something yummy and I thought it would be nice to have root beer floats (they are a favorite of his and he hasn't had one since Father's Day) and I got him a video gift card to watch a movie tonight. Happy Valentines Day, John!

 

This week in the library we also, enjoyed sharing about many of the books we are reading in our Winter Read-a-thon. I am so impressed at just how many kiddo's are participating and how many adults have sought me out in person, on line, through this blog and on bloglovin to let me know that they are excited to also be participating. I am finding so many new books (that I have now on my reading list) from those of you sharing what you are reading, keep those book selections coming. I love hearing that you are reading and who knows it may be my next read.

I wanted to give you my review on my latest 2 books. I shared with you that I read The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and from my book swap I received The book Always Something There to Remind me By Beth Harbison first off let me just say I absolutely love both of these authors and try to read all of their books.

The Husband's Secret By Liane Moriarty

The story of The Husband's Secret unfolds from the third person perspectives of three women, Cecilia, Tess and Rachel. At first the connections between these women is unseen but the secret Jon-Paul has been keeping for decades will change them all.

Cecilia has been married to John-Paul for fifteen years, they have three bright and beautiful daughters and a busy, happy life. Cecilia is the P&C president, a successful Tupperware host and her neat and orderly world is shattered when her husband returns early from a business trip.
Tess is devastated when her husband announces he has fallen in love with her best friend, cousin and business partner, Felicity. Her only thought is to escape and she abandons her life in Sydney to return to her childhood home. Tess isn't interested in renewing old friendships but finds she can't resist the attentions of an old flame. Every day is an effort for Rachel. It is only the presence of her toddler grandson that relieves the grief that has haunted her since her teenage daughter was murdered more than twenty years ago, and now her son and his wife are moving to New York. Bereft, Rachel renews her obsession with the man she suspects murdered her daughter, a man that teaches at the school where she is a secretary, a man she is convinced is really a monster.

Moriarty winds her way through a minefield as her story explores the very personal implications of choosing between right and wrong. I'm desperate to avoid spoilers so I can say little except that the author challenges the notions of guilt, of punishment, of justice and redemption.

The Husband's Secret is a compelling, thought provoking novel, inspired by an article about real life deathbed confessions and their surprising consequences. An intriguing examination of conscience, love, betrayal and forgiveness this novel will stay with you well after the last page has been turned.

Always Something There To Remind Me by Beth Harbison  

Is teenage love real? Can love this young, last forever? Erin Edwards faces these questions among many others in Always Something There to Remind Me.

The story flips from past to present each chapter. We see Erin's relationship form with Nate Lawson from glances to each other at a party to the most intense, young love. When their relationship suddenly turns sour and they break up, Erin doesn't believe she can go on living without him. But, of course, she must. And she does. For 23 years, Erin lives without Nate. So, when Erin is asked to take the next step with a beautiful, nice, successful man, why are thoughts of Nate springing to mind? Is Erin really in love with this man? Is she still in love with Nate? Is Nate in love with her? Does he even remember her? Erin soon finds all the answers to these questions and more. One fateful day she runs into Nate and they realize not much has changed in 23 years. Will they be together? Is it too late?

I loved this book and it hit home for me. I connected to the time, the music in the story, the character and I are close to the same age and it felt like taking a trip back. Thanks once again to Beth Harbison for another great read!

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Shamhart

On a personal note:

This week for me personally, it has been a bit of a struggle as I have a friend who is battling cancer and is slowly losing his fight. After some 30 plus years of friendship this is hard to accept. Unfortunately, I am not able to make the trip to Florida before the end of the school year. 

Yet, I wanted my friend to know the impact he had on my life and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to tell him. I decided to write him a letter. Ponder that for a moment... A letter to a friend that you know is losing his fight and yet what do you say? What do you say without dwelling on the inevitable? This was a challenge, a heartache but I was compelled to write it.

Since I've finished the letter; I have laughed, cried, thought about the memories. I've cherished this friendship and appreciated the significant impact this courageous individual has had upon me and my life, now it is time to share it with him. It feels as if there is some finality to all of this, once I share my letter . For some, they may find this a relief, it leaves me feeling a bit helpless. My hope is that it will bring him and his family some comfort. I know my memories will not fade, as they are as vivid as yesterday and I carry them with me.

I decided to share this here on my blog, today, Valentine's Day, in hopes of encouraging everyone to take this time to let those you care about know of your feelings. It seems on Valentine's Day this comes a little easier to us all.

 

Happy Valentine's Day,

Mrs. Shamhart

 

Snow Days, Cold Days...

Its snowing, snowing, snowing. It has been snowing all day and as I type this we have already accumulated over a foot of snow. UGH! We had a snow day today (Tuesday) and we have already heard that there will be another snow day tomorrow. Temperatures will be below zero in the coming days.

I miss the kiddos and think of all we are going to have to  catch up on. Although, I love the snow and the layer of crisp clean white it leaves in its wake. We have a total of 3 snow days this week and a 2 hour late Start day on Friday.

I warmed myself by the fire and finished my book and enjoyed the hot chocolate and snow is falling.  

Just in time for the snowstorm, I received my book swap books from Becca.

Through our Books and Bloggers Book swap sponsored by CG swaps. 

             

I was so thrilled to get these books. The criteria for this swap was to share a book that you loved.

Share a book you have been wanting to read. Give a book from your partners wish list.

Needless to say I am very excited to get started on these selections.

My current new book club book is the Beth Harbison book you see here, Always Something There To Remind Me.    I will keep you posted on my progress and a full review of both books next weekend.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Shamhart

Happy Birthday, Kansas!

Happy Birthday, Kansas!

This week in the library we were very busy celebrating Kansas. First grade friends and I shared the book Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner. This story always gets me. It is a wonderful story for our first graders and fits into the curriculum quite nicely. For all of you teachers or librarians here is the information:

Review:

1. Historical fiction, picture book.

2. After the Civil War, follow the Muldie boys and their father to Kansas to find free land through the Homestead Act.

3. A. This easy reader is just that, an easy read especially for beginner readers. Barbara Brenner uses appropriate language, varied sentence length and structure as well as short chapters to engage young readers. All of these along with the rugged, colorful illustrations transport the reader into a harsh but hopeful time in our country.

B. The greatest aspect of Wagon Wheels is the language and sentence structure to appeal to young readers. Getting students and children interested in history and the past is difficult but Barbara Brenner created a story that makes you want to turn the page to find out what happens next. This is due to how easy it is to read. Through this 63 page story, 61 pages are illustrated to help decode the text and visualize this story for the reader.

C. The three boys and their father begin to make their ‘home’ in the Kansas prairie. “It wasn’t much of a place—dirt floor, dirt walls, no windows. And the roof was just grass and branches. But we were glad to have a dugout when the wind began to whistle across the prairie” (14-15). Easy decodable text accompanied by a picture on the bottom of the page translates to the reader how these families lived in dugouts in the ground for harsh winters. At the end of the story, the three boys ventured out to find their father who had found better land to settle on. “We walked along the trail. It led up a hill. On the side of the hill we saw a little house with a garden in front. We could see corn growing. A man came out of the house. When he saw us, he began to run towards us” (58-59). These well formed sentences with appropriate language do not intimidate readers and makes them want to keep turning the page.

4.Curriculum Connection- Wonderful introduction to chapter books with short chapters that can be accompanied with comprehension questions.

We then shared the Fiction/Non Fiction "Snow" Lesson. I love this lesson because not only does it remind me of how much my first grade friends have learned thus far but because it means we are on our way to our very first research paper in the library. Love this time of year.

 We read, discussed and compared these stories and then went a step further and discussed text features in our non fiction book. These are some of the things we will see when we start our research on farm animals in the coming weeks.

In Kindergarten we shared S is for Sunflower a Kansas Alphabet and we discussed the many things that are Kansas. This was a fun story to do with Kindergarten as I found that they all made connections quite easily to this story and to our home in Kansas.

We also discussed another very important day that is coming up this weekend Groundhog Day.

Many of my friends had never heard of ground hog day. We shared the story of Lorna Balian

A Garden for Groundhog  and Groundhog Day by Gail Gibbons.

 

We then did a bit of our own predicting and tallied our predictions on if the Groundhog would or would not see his shadow. Most of my friends are hoping that he does not see his shadow so spring will be on it's way sooner...I am doubtful with the crazy winter we have had thus far but I too, am hopeful.

We then also, learned a little poem to help us to remember the rule for the groundhog seeing his shadow and an up close photo of a groundhog. The kiddos loved checking out the groundhog and let me be clear they all had an observation to share. I LOVED IT! We got our brains brainstorming!

 

Our Spotlight book The Little Little Girl With The Big Big VOICE by Kristen Balouch 

 

Happy Birthday Kansas! Our fact of the week was offered by this book KANSAS.

 

 

I have finally put together the next READING CHALLENGE!!! Our Winter Read-A-Thon.

This reading challenge will run from January 31, 2014- March 6, 2014

Please remember the goal here is to encourage reading. It should be fun. Lets turn off the television and video games and lets share a book or a designated time when we can all be reading.

Students will be required to  read:

3- General Fiction Books

2- Realistic Fiction Books

3- Informational Books

3- Mysteries

2- Chapter Books

2- Free Choice

Each student will bring home a 15 Book Challenge sheet to record their books.

When it is returned they will receive a whole class returns their record sheet

they will earn a reward as a class. We are all very excited to begin reading.

prize. If the

 For the Adults:

It just wouldn't be any fun if I didn't make a challenge for the adults.

Select any 5 book ideas from this Book Challenge Card. You could keep this card going until you complete it. I just wanted to give lots of ideas to choose from.  Enjoy!

 

I finished up my current read of the Apartment By Greg Baxter

Reading this book reminded me of the sitcom "Seinfeld"--on the surface it's a book about nothing. The story centers around the day in a life of one man--an unnamed American--who is trying to erase his past. He moves to an unnamed European city and befriends a young woman, Saskia, who offers to help him find an apartment. The story is gray, cold and depressing much like its setting. On a deeper level, the book is a work on the travesty of war, the consequence of personal decisions and the negative view toward Americans harbored by other countries. It reads rather flat in its style of stream-of-consciousness writing. 

I longed for the moment when he turned out to be a terrorist or romance set in but there is none of that in this story. It took you along to expect these things but they never occurred, which I kind of appreciated.  I wasn't able to predict where the author was taking me. Yet, I felt content as I finished it. No one more surprised by this than I.  So, do I recommend it sure it was a quick read and I did enjoy it.

Changing themes and finding my next book club book choice. I am reading The Husband's secret and I have book club this weekend so I need to get finished up. Can't wait to tell you all how it turns out. So far I find it difficult to put down.  You may notice that this is by Liane Moriarty and I read her other book in the fall called What Alice Forgot. I have to say I am really enjoying her style.

A little teaser for you: Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret. Something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is very much alive....

Regarding my Books and Bloggers Swap I just sent off my package of books to my swap partner, Rebecca Bryant from http://www.everydaylifes.com  and I hope you love the book choices I sent your way. Looking forward to receiving my books soon...Yeah! I will post the reveal as soon as they arrive.

Friday Confessionals

I confess:

• I was hoping and praying for a snow day/cold weather day, this week but ....that didn't happen.
• We have had a lot of friends sick and I am trying to avoid it, like the plague.
•  So ready for spring weather (That groundhog had better not see his shadow).
• I am totally psyched about the reading challenge.
• Looking forward to the Super Bowl and spending time with my hubby and friends this weekend. Go Seahawks!!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Shamhart