Check it out! Paloma’s library is so cool. Did you know that there are almost 15,000 books on the shelves and that every month approximately 4,600 books are checked out and returned? Now, that’s just Panther-iffic! Students are welcome in the library before and after school. Mrs. McGinnis, our wonderful librarian, usually opens the library at 8:15 am and, on most days, she keeps it open until 3:30 pm. This time is in addition to the once-a-week visit that all students make with their class. Each week, Mrs. McGinnis will read a story to the K-2 students. Older students may hear a story or they will learn library lessons about the Dewey Decimal Classification System, research skills, or genre specifics. Learning the basics in our school library translates to the lifetime of understanding how all libraries operate.

This year students will hear a variety of stories that have been nominated for the California Young Reader Medal. This is a very special award because only young readers in California, through their school librarian, can vote.  After almost 500,000 votes, the winners are Dex: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner (Primary) and Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles (Intermediate). This year’s nominees for the primary (K-2) grades are Stanley's Wild Ride by Linda Bailey, The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend, Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies, Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look, and Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson. The intermediate (3rd-5th) grades will be voting on Phineas L. MacGuire...Erupts!  The First Experimental Sheep by Valerie Hobbs, and Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. These are sure to be wonderful stories so ask your student about them. And remember, growing a reader begins with just 20 minutes a day set aside for reading.