Hey everyone,

Thanks to all of you who made it to our first meeting of the year this week. Hopefully, you have all had a chance to check out this blog. We are looking forward to meeting even more new faces and many of you have already added your names to the chart! Everyone is reading away!!! I wanted to let you know that I am listening to the book Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and am loving it! It is exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat, the whole time. The person who reads the book does a great job and that isn't always the case with books. I am looking forward to reading the sequel to this book called Catching Fire. If it is anything like the first, I'm sure it will have me in the first chapter as well. Let me know what you think about either of these two books.

Our First Meeting of the Year!! Sept. 22nd 5:30-7

Hey everyone,
It is hard to believe that school has started and our first meeting is just around the corner. To start us off right and help welcome new members, we'll be having a potluck meeting in the J-room. Our meeting will run longer than usual so that we can eat and welcome everyone and have time for booktalks! I also want to have time to share about this new feature of a blog where we can talk and comment on books that we've read from the list. I want to share how to get on and invite everyone to participate.
Please call the library or email Miss Amy at alhand@librarycamden.org to let me know that you will be at our meeting and what you will be bringing to eat for the potluck.
Keep reading from the list and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Miss Amy and Susan

Want to reccommend a new book to next year's list for consideration?

If you would like to reccommend a new 2009 published book to be considered by the members of the committee, read it, review it and email Miss Amy and she'll make sure it is reviewed by at least four members. That is how we choose our list. We have to weed out alot of books, so that we get a good selection which covers the breadth of genres. There are currently 39 books on the list but we are reading 100's for consideration next year. Let me know if you've got one.

I need to know Title, publisher, publication date, your name, and a brief review of why you think this should be on next year's list which will be released in April 2010.

Amy Hand
Children's Librarian
Maine Student Book Award Committee (2008-2012)
Lupine Committee (2006-2008)
Camden Public Library
alhand@librarycamden.org

How to booktalk your books!

How to Do a Book Talk
The purpose of doing booktalks is to get someone else to read your book. Be passionate about what you’ve read and how you relate it. Be brief, and don’t give away the best part of the book. Share just enough, to get someone interested. Maybe the characters were really awesome. Maybe, for another person, the suspense or mystery in the story is what they really liked and want to highlight. Maybe you know that your book is similar to another book, you can share something about that as well. Remember, it is a summary, not a retelling of the book. Also, sometimes, it works to just share an actual quote or passage from the actual book. Encourage whoever it is to give it a try.

Reading Genres ---choosing your books!

Reading Genres
Biography A biography is the story of a real person's life, written or told by another person.

Autobiography An autobiography is the story of a real person's life, written or told by that person.

Realistic Fiction Fictional stories that take place in modern time, right here and now. The characters are involved in events that could really happen.

Mystery/Suspense Fictional stories, usually realistic, about a mysterious event which is not explained or a crime that is not solved until the end of the story to keep the reader in suspense.

Fantasy Fiction that contains elements that are NOT realistic, such as talking animals, magical powers, etc. Make-believe is what this genre is all about.

Science Fiction Stories which include futuristic technology; a blend of scientific fact and fictional elements.

Historical Fiction Stories which take place in a particular time period in the past. Often the basic setting is real, but the characters are fictional.

Folk Tales, Tall Tales, and Fairy Tales Folk tales are stories with no known creator. They were originally passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth. The authors on folk tale books today are retelling these stories. Although, folk tales are sometimes based on real historical figures, there are fictional elements to the story. Tall tales are generally folk tales in which the main character is bigger than life in some way.

Myths Myths are stories that usually explain something about the world and involve gods and ther supernatural beings.

Poetry Poetry is verse written to create a response of thought and feeling from the reader. It often uses rhythm and rhyme to help convey its meaning.