Pastries and Prose #1

I am not a morning person.
But I can name at least 15 4th graders who are.

Yesterday was the kick off of my "Pastries and Prose" book club, a half hour before school started.  It was pitch black when I pulled into the parking lot and the only other car there belonged to Miss Sherrie in the cafeteria.

I signed up to lead an extra curricular  book club but with a late bus only three days a week and art club, KKids, intramurals, student council and students just needing to stay after school for extra help, I thought I would try offering a before-school club.  And I love doughnuts so this would be the perfect opportunity to indulge.

Having never run a club like this before I didn't know what we would do (and honestly I still don't) but at least we have a focus.  I pulled all my "treat" related books and put them out.  The kids enjoyed juice and pastries and then all gathered to listen to The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller and illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch.  These 4th graders have Sibert on their mind so they really wanted to read one of the nonfiction titles.  We already know that next week's book will be How the Cookie Crumbled: The True (and not so true) Stories of the Invention of the Chocolate Chip Cookie by Gilbert Ford. Not really a pastry, but close enough.

We also talked about getting into groups and reading graphic novels like Bake Sale by Sara Varon and Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit by Jarrett Krosoczka (perhaps our own early riser lunch lady will join in for that one).  I invited my 6th grade Reading Ambassadors to come as mentors and they really want to read different books and hold debates. I'll need some extra coffee for that.

I think they enjoyed it.  The true testament will be if they return before sunrise next Thursday.  In the meantime, can you please pass the chocolate frosted with sprinkles.

Chase BEFORE his tooth fell out.
PS-That's a reusable cup filled with OJ!

PS-Shout out to Laurie Keller for the idea to call my club "Pastries and Prose."  It stuck and I love it! Of course, don't look for her books in the picture--they are all checked out!

Twas the night before the night before

If I only looked at the mercury, I would not believe that it was time to go back to school in upstate New York.  My son just informed me it was going to be 89 tomorrow.  This is not a typical September. But what is typical is that kids will be back in my library on Thursday.  I can hardly contain my excitement!

Today was our first official day back.  I knocked on doors to collaborate.  I got philosophical. "Kids need to be given choices in what they read." And I already cried. "Why aren't things going the way I hoped they would go?"  All in all it was a good day and I can't wait to take a million leaps on Thursday.

I made it onto our faculty meeting agenda tomorrow.  It says, "School Year Theme--Stacey Rattner" but really I have more in store than the theme.  And, for the first time I am giving everyone a little goody bag with the following:

• Fun Pen--So they can "Make Their Mark" for Dot Day to be celebrated for the first time school wide on September 14.
• Chocolate--Self explanatory but also a reminder that I have a chocolate dish in my library always full for those days you need to reap the benefits of cocoa.
• A K-Cup (Donut shop brand)--Because some days you need a pick me up and I love all things donuts.
• Tea--Sweet Dreams flavor.  Some of us are not coffee drinkers (what?!) and prefer tea.  Or, maybe a nice cup at home is just what the doctor ordered after a long day at school. And mindfulness is a big push this year so what better flavor than "sweet dreams."
• Free Prep Pass-I found this idea on Future Ready Librarians Facebook page and when I mentioned it to my friend, she thought it was the greatest idea ever.  She was already ready to redeem hers! With an expiration date of June 26, 2019 (yes, could our last day of school BE any later?), teachers can redeem this coupon for a free 30 minutes.  It's really a win-win.  I get to be with the kids and they can take a break.  I'm so fortunate to have a flexible schedule that allows me the ability to offer this opportunity to my colleagues.

I also made up postcards using Canva (also thanks to Future Ready Librarians and Shannon Miller)  that have my extension (it's seven digits long), the link for the library webpage and the link for Overdrive.  I put the database logins and passwords on the back.  Unfortunately, they haven't arrived yet from Overnightprints (the name is deceiving) so I will have to hand those out at a later date.  Ha! Maybe mail them! I already have my daughter on call that if they are delivered in the morning, she needs to rush them over to me at school. 

TA Bag

The teaching assistants are getting bags, too, minus the prep pass.  I couldn't leave them out and I wanted to make sure they knew that I appreciated them. There's a QR code on their card that links them directly to Overdrive.  I want to take away as many obstacles to finding books as possible.

"Come for Chocolate. Stay to Collaborate." Honestly, I fill my calendar without the bribery.  I just wanted to remind them all that I couldn't do any of this or be successful without them. 

And now to go set my alarm and have some "sweet dreams."

The Doughnut Fix REVISITED

By Izzy, of course!

Izzy is BAAAAACCCKKKK from a very short hiatus! This time she's got thoughts to share about The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz.

"Tristan Levin is a boy from New York City who just moved Petersville, the middle of nowhere, in upstate New York. When he sees his house for the first time he says 'Why do we have to move? We were perfectly happy in NYC.' The next morning he decides to check out the actual town. He bikes down there and most of the buildings are abandoned. Then he sees a sign that says, 'Yes we do have chocolate cream doughnuts.' So he walks in and says that he'll take a dozen. The lady behind the counter says, 'Eggs?' He replies, 'No, doughnuts!' Turns out that they don't even serve doughnuts anymore. So instead he gets eggs and bikes back home.

"Later in the book, Tristan's parents ask him and his sisters to think of a project  because they aren't starting school for a couple of months. He tries to think of a project but all he can think about are chocolate cream doughnuts. He asks the lady at the counter for the recipe and she said he had to prove that he was worthy of the 'life changing and heavenly' recipe.  Will he get the recipe?  Will his project have to do something with doughnuts? Read this chocolate creamed filled book to find out."

I was thrilled to revisit this sweet book again while Izzy dictated her review to me.  Here's a link to my earlier review before it even hit the shelves!  Now I have missed meeting Jessie once while she was only a doughnut hole's throw away from my town but I can't let that happen again.  We NEED to meet for doughnuts and coffee asap!


PS-Reason #17 of why I leap? So I can eat doughnuts!

The Doughnut Fix

Let's see.  I grew up in Queens.  I now live in a small town in upstate New York.  I love doughnuts. (have you read my Twitter profile?) So when I heard that Tristan and his family move to small town, Petersville, New York from the city and he makes it his mission to bring Winnie's chocolate cream doughnuts back, I couldn't help but crave this book.

How does this all get started?  It's late fall and for some reason, the principal wants Tristan and his younger sister, Jeanine to wait until January to start school. To keep them busy (and learning?) Tristan and Jeanine's parents tell them to come up with a project they can work on until school starts..  Having no clue where to begin on this "project", Tristan asks Winnie the owner of the General Store for her doughnut recipe.

This project has multifaceted layers: culinary, business ownership, math, teamwork and more.  As readers and educators, we can use this book in a number of ways, too.  Tie it in with Junior Achievement.  Discuss the fractions from the recipe and in Tristan's business model.  Work with a partner and see how challenging that can be!

With his recipe (did Winnie give hers up?), Start Your Own Business for Dummies and new friend, Josh by his side, Tristan learns the meaning of perseverance, trust, risk taking (mashed potatoes? really?!) and of course, how to make a great doughnut.  Success?  You'll just have to stumble upon Petersville to find out! There's a recipe in the back of the book, in addition to a glossary of business terms.  Double deliciousness.

At the moment (if you don't count Dunkin Donuts and I don't) the nearest shop (Cider Belly) is across the river in Albany.  I can only hope that this book will encourage one of my students to tackle their own doughnut project right here in Castleton.  Sell them in the library, perhaps? Can you say, "SWEET!"? And if that's the case, a treadmill is included, right?

Enjoying a donut at Cider Belly in Albany, NY

Shopping for donut pillows with my nieces in Ocean City, Maryland.