Beth Glenn, NBPTS Library/Media Specialist

Midway Elementary Professional Development School

As part of our annual Scholastic Book Fair, we host a family read night. Our parents read books with their children, take Accelerated Reader Tests with them, and purchase high-quality children’s literature.

The last week in October each year, I host a Scholastic Book Fair.  Every student who purchases a book gets to put his or her name in a bucket.  At the end of each day, one name is drawn and the winner gets to come to the book fair to pick out a free paperback book.

During the third grading period of the year, our third graders compete to read as many Caldecott books as they can. The student who reads the most Caldecott books receives a paperback copy of the Caldecott titles, and the class who reads the most books has a popsicle party.

During Children’s Book Week and National Library Week, Mrs. Williams & I host morning events in the library for our Moms and Dads (and Grandmoms and Granddads). I serve doughnuts and muffins and take the opportunity to increase awareness of the value of reading.

Buddy Reading is a weekly activity that I introduced at Midway. Older students are paired with younger students for recreational reading. The older students have a non-threatening opportunity to read to a younger student who loves the attention and gets one-on-one help with reading. Both children benefit and strong bonds between the pairs are often formed.

Annual Family Read Night

Muffins for Moms/Doughnuts for Dads/

Books ‘n’ Buns

The Caldecott Competition

Scholastic Book Fair

Buddy Reading

Midway Library Activities

 Critic’s Club

In order to increase excitement about reading, I assist Mrs. Ginger Williams who leads the Critic’s Club.  Once a week, students who have reached their Accelerated Reader goals are invited to critique a storybook, giving each one a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.  The results are posted outside the library, which has generated a high level of interest in the books they critique, much like Ebert & Roepert’s movie reviews!

Children’s Book Week

During Children’s Book Week, many of our faculty members dress up like favorite storybook characters. This is my Library Dragon costume (from The Library Dragon  by Carmen Agra Deedy).