Death by Chocolate : Little Fitz and Ziggy

Vaudeville performer Little Fitz and his ventriloquist’s puppet “Ziggy” are characters from a murder-mystery dinner party game called “Death by Chocolate.” I got to choose my character, and I wanted to be Little Fitz. I watched a video by Jeff Dunham where he explained how to do ventriloquism and I got a cat puppet to be my “Ziggy.” Here is a pre-game exchange, getting into character. To be true to Ziggy as required by the game, I had to portray Ziggy as a bit of a jerk. It was a lot of fun, and I think I might keep going, keep having fun with it.
https://youtu.be/Soy_p4Rr-Oc

Rez Dogs, by Joseph Bruchac

Each Friday that school is in session, I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from SRCSA library. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for April 19, 2024 is Rez Dogs, by Joseph Bruchac.

‘Big words’ don’t need apology

The narrator of a story I was reading, apologized for using “large words.” But I am autistic and using “big words” is part of who I am. In the past I was teased and ridiculed for having a large vocabulary and, when I read that passage, it seemed like the narrator had internalized being shamed for their vocabulary. I want to push back against the idea that people should apologize or feel at all ashamed for using “big words.”
https://youtu.be/9aIABl34AHg

Let’s build a Community of Readers (2024)

“When children see the adults around them using reading and writing in their everyday lives, they’re more likely to become readers and writers themselves.” — How to Create a Literate Home: Young Child and Kindergartener, PBS Kids, March 26, 2012. I created flyers for colleagues to display a book that they are currently reading. My design is based on one by Andrea Trudeau. https://youtu.be/9agrAN5Nbts

Ethics in library cataloging

This week, I watched “Change the Subject,” a documentary that’s related to the ethics of library cataloging.

Book-Talk : Paige Not Found, by Jen Wilde

During Autism Acceptance Month, April 2024, I am reading Paige Not Found by Jen Wilde. It features a protagonist who is autistic and nonbinary, who learns that a chip was planted in her brain without her consent. As a reader and librarian who is autistic and nonbinary, I feel visible through reading a book that features a main character who is so like me.
https://youtu.be/n0fWnuBqZu4

UCM’s SOLIS Book Club : Poll winner for Fall 2024

The poll has closed and TJ Klune’s House in the Cerulean Sea was the top vote-getter for SOLIS Book Club to read and discuss in Fall 2024.
https://youtu.be/vhJV6ug8EcY

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander

Each Friday that school is in session, I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from SRCSA library. The “First-chapter Friday” selection for April 5, 2024 is The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander.

Ellen Outside the Lines, by A.J. Sass (eBook preview)

Presenting ... First-chapter Friday, the eBook edition, beginning with Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass: Read via the Libby app, checked out through San Francisco Public Library. I will preview another eBook on the first Friday of each month, or on first and third Fridays if available content warrants it. Each eBook will be available from an area library.

Books for National Poetry Month

Here is a sampling of books from SRCSA library: Picture books of poetry as well as novels-in-verse, to commemorate National Poetry Month.
https://youtu.be/a82v-WzHMGE

Character education: Books about Courage (#2)

SRCSA’s character-education focus for April 2024 is “Courage.” Here are graphic novels and prose novels that support the theme of courage.
https://youtu.be/tom5uMG9PB0

Character education: Books about Courage (#1)

SRCSA’s character-education focus for April 2024 is “Courage.” Here are several picture books that support the theme of courage.
https://youtu.be/L676shx19Gc