LibrarySparks:
Activities to Encourage Lifelong Readers
LibrarySparks Magazine has just completed its first
year of publication by Upstart, a division of Highsmith, Inc.
Each activity packed issue is theme based and ready-to-use. Elementary
school media specialists will love the monthly features: a calendar,
bulletin board ideas, bibliography of books included in this issue,
freebies, book report ideas, Meet the Author, storytime ideas,
and much more. For example, one helpful hint points the reader
to Jan Brett’s web site for downloading illustrated shelf
signs that you can customize and print for your media center by
following the link to www.janbrett.com/library_signs/library_signs_main.htm.
An idea from “Five Minute Fillers” shares a web site
that contains over 40 audience participation stories that are
a fun way to get children involved in storytelling. Log on to
www.scoutingbear.com/audience/audpart.htm
and add this site to your favorites.
A webliography is available online that contains active links
to all the web sites listed in each issue at www.librarysparks.com.
You can also request a sample issue there.
Planning for next year? Here are the 2004-05 themes:
| Issue |
Theme |
| August/September |
Hispanic Heritage Month |
| October |
Elections
Mysteries |
| November |
Native American Indian Heritage Month
Lewis & Clark |
| December |
International Language Week
Winter Holidays |
| January |
National Letter Week |
| February |
Groundhog Day
Folklore |
| March |
Music in Our Schools Month |
| April |
Math Awareness Month
National Humor Month |
| May/June |
Life Cycles
Summer Exploration |