Picture book of the week: Ghosts in the House!

If you are looking for a cute book for Halloween, check out Kazuno Kohara's Ghosts in the House!  A witch buys a house that is haunted and thinks of very creative ways to deal with the ghosts, including giving them a spin in the washing machine.  This charming book is just right for kindergarten and first grade.

Chapter book of the week: Savvy

Have you ever wished that you had magical powers?  In the Newbery honor book, Savvy, written by Ingrid Law, everyone in Mibs Beaumont's family has a savvy, or magical power, that appears on their thirteenth birthday.  Mibs's grandmother can move mountains.  Her brother Rocket can make electricity.  On the night before her birthday, Mibs is worried.  What will her power be? When her father is injured in a car accident, Mibs decides to sneak into the hospital and use her unknown savvy to save him.  When she realizes that the bus that she snuck into is headed in the wrong direction, her troubles begin.  Mibs's journey is one that you'll never forget!

Picture book of the week: The House in the Night

Susan Marie Swanson's lastest book, The House in the Night, is the 2009 Caldecott Award winner. This lovely picture book uses just three colors: black, white, and yellow to depict what light looks like as it fills a house at night.

Yates students are published poets!

During the 2008-2009 school year, library classes in grades 3-6 wrote haikus and entered them in a poetry-writing contest. 28 Yates students were selected to have their poems published in a book of poetry. The following students have poems published in Young American Poetry Digest; the library owns a copy of the book and it is available for check-out. Congratulations to our published authors!

Rashawn A., 5th grade
The volcano blazed.
The clouds turn darker than rain.
The lava is bright.

Shainia B., 6th grade
Barack Obama.
He is the best in the world.
He will make a change.

Antonio B., 5th grade
Rainbow is calling.
Rainbow is falling.
The sun is calling, falling.

Ashley C., 6th grade
Cats, birds, dogs are cool.
They make me very happy
When they play and sing.

Raymond C., 6th grade
Leaves and flowers open.
In winter they close right up.
Summer, they open.

Jasmine D., 6th grade
The snow is falling
The snow is blowing all day
There’s snow all over

Michael D., 4th grade
I like the forest.
It has a beautiful sight.
You will like it, too.

Jacob H., 5th grade
The sun is so bright,
Shining down on the water,
Making it shimmer.

Amber H., 5th grade
Winter is here now.
Children running all around.
Everyone is here.

Morgan H., 4th grade
Trees are beautiful.
They grow out of the ground brown.
They have leaves so green.

Tyler F., 6th grade
All I see is white.
But I’m not blind, I see snow.
It is winter time.

Aashiana E., 6th grade
The sun is so bright
The sun shines on me now
My cheeks feel the sun

Justyn J., 6th grade
NYC
The streets are busy.
How many people are here
In New York City?

Tovenna J., 4th grade
I’m a little girl.
I love to act out and play.
I am too funny.

Alaika J., 6th grade
Be my valentine!
Love’s like a dove in my heart!
So, do you accept?

Isiah L., 6th grade
We have four seasons:
Winter, spring, summer, autumn.
I love all seasons!

Erryl L., 6th grade
Spring
Snow is melting now.
Birds chirping, eagles flying,
Grass grows everywhere.

Gideon M., 4th grade
People are loving
The feeling of love is strong
Love is powerful

Allegrina M., 4th grade
The show is falling.
I can’t wait to play outside
With my sister. Yay!

A’nyah M., 4th grade
The Wind
The wind is blowing hard.
It blows so hard I get cold.
It is very strong.

Angel P., 5th grade
Small amphibian
Fat, yellow, hopping creature
Happy, jumping frog

Olivia P., 6th grade
Snow’s falling fast, fast.
Wonder how long it will last?
It is like a blast.

Philip R., 5th grade
Snow is everywhere.
This snow is white, like your teeth.
It’s a lot of fun.

Austin S., 4th grade
Let’s run home from school.
Faster than the wind we go.
I am home from school.

Almania S., 5th grade
It’s cold outside. Brrrrr……
Jump in, make sure it’s not cold.
It’s not done. Jump on!

Alivia S., 4th grade
I like the weather.
What is the weather today?
Really, what is it?

Destiny T., 5th grade
Dream of a good dream.
Mother Earth will respect you.
Just say, “I love you.”

Abigail W., 6th grade
Happy in summer,
Running through the sunny sand.
Summer is coming.

Chapter book of the week: The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman’s lastest book, The Graveyard Book, is the 2009 Newbery Award winner. Not for the faint of heart, this book takes place in a graveyard. Nobody Owens is a regular boy being raised by ghosts after the death of his parents. This book is a mix of mystery, fantasy, and humor. Will Nobody solve the mysterious death of his family? Read and find out!

Library times, they are a-changing!

I was very shocked to read this article in the Times Union. Albany Public Library is abandoning the well-loved Dewey Decimal System for a more user-friendly bookstore arrangement. I wonder if this will become a trend?

Its Number up, Dewey is 86ed

Our new online catalog

Check out our new online catalog! You can check to see what books we own from the comfort of your couch, or any other computer with internet access. You can even see a listing of our newest books!

Yates' OPALs catalog

Read for the Record

On Thursday, October 8, Yates Arts-in-Education Magnet School participated in Read for the Record. Students across the country were asked to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Yates students were happy to participate. Thanks to teachers and volunteers, every student in the building enjoyed this Eric Carle classic. Students visiting the library that day also did a special art project.

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