Happy Halloween!!!

Have a wonderful, safe Halloween!!!

And remember...if you dress up as a character from a book please take a picture and email me a copy so that I can feature you on our website.

Email pictures to tyla.creasy@sumnerschools.org

Caught Reading...Logan Crowder

After finishing his ACT Explore test, Logan caught up on some reading with Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.

Remember, reading pays...in more ways than one.  Get caught reading and see what you get?

Get Caught Reading

We all know that reading pays off.  The more one reads, the more one knows.  Students who are well read have a higher vocabulary, tend to do better in school and score higher on tests. 

Annnnnd...now at WMS...students randomly caught reading could benefit in other ways, too!!! Like free snacks or school coupons or gift cards or who knows what!!!  Who doesn't love free stuff???

So...

Get Going.  Get Reading.  Get Caught!

To All the Lovely Bad Ones

Allow me to share with you a poem that I was taught in school to get this last weekend before Halloween started off the right way.  The poem, written by J.W. Riley in 1885, tells of an orphan girl who went to work for a family and would tell the children ghost stories after dinner each night.  It was inspired by a real-life girl named "Allie".  However, when typesetting the poem for print, a mistake was made and the title character of the poem was changed to "Annie". 

I hope you'll take time to read this at some point.  It's a classic! 


LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE


by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)

INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION

To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones;

The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;

The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.

LITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;

An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,

We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun

A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,

An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!



Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--

An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,

His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,

An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!

An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,

An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;

But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:--

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!



An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,

An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;

An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,

She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!

An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,

They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,

An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!



An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!

An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,

An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--

You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,

An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,

An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out!

Be a Book Giver

Parents:

     World Book Night U.S. is a celebration of books and reading held on April 23, when thousands of passionate volunteers across America give away millions of books within their communities to adults and teens who don’t regularly read.

     Many of us at WMS have signed up to become book givers for the upcoming event and we'd like to invite you to join us.  It's FREE, and very easy to apply.  Please visit http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/ for more information.

     If you do decide to become a book giver, please let me know before you sign up, so that we may better coordinate our efforts.


     Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

Don't Forget...You Could Win This!

Win this and more!!!  Go HERE for details.

What's New in the Library: October

Check out some of the books we received in our recent order.  And just in time for Halloween, too!

Unsolved History:  Debatable Deaths by G. Blackwood

Jeffrey's Favorite 13 Ghost Stories by K. Windham

Ghosts by P. Parks

Haunted Houses by D. Williams

Paranormal Files:  Ghosts by S. Webb

Burial Grounds by R. Lynette

The Unexplained:  Ghosts by J. Guy

Stop by and check 'em out!

It Pays to Dress Up for Halloween!

Do you still dress up for Halloween?  I hope so.  Many middle school kids still do.  In fact, many adults do.  My own daughter (who is now in college) has always tried to dress up in some way for this fun night!

girls who like The Hunger Games series may want to try this

We're polling our readers to see how many plan on dressing up.  Look at the top right of this blog and you'll see the question and answer choices.

ALSO, if you do happen to dress up - and you dress up as a character from a book - please email me a picture (my address is below).  YOU COULD WIN a gift card from Wal-mart, plus other Halloween goodies!!!

SOME IDEAS for BOOK CHARACTER COSTUMES

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games

Thing One, Thing Two from the Dr. Seuss books

Frankenstein's monster from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Dracula from Bram Stoker's Dracula

The wimpy kid or Rodrick from Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Anne of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Harry Potter  from the series by J.K. Rowling

Pippi Longstocking from the Astrid Lindgren book of the same title

Captain Underpants

Any characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland

Peter Pan by J.M Barrie

Percy Jackson from the Rick Riordan series

and so many, many more.  Don't believe me?  Just Google.

And anything a guy would need to go as the Mad Hatter could easily (and cheaply) be found at the Goodwill store and Wal-mart (spools of thread).

I really hope you'll dress up.  I can't wait to see you!!!  


My email address is tyla.creasy@sumnerschools.org

Halloween Contest 2013

To celebrate this spooktacular month, the library is having a contest!  To enter, leave us a comment telling us your favorite scary book or story (it can even be one you've heard) and a little about it...like a brief summary (2-3 sentences) of what it's about and why you like it.  If it's a book, be sure to give the author's name (if you know it).  If it's a story you've heard told, tell us where you heard it.

We'll randomly draw for a winner on Friday, October 25.  The winner will receive a cool prize bag full of Halloween goodies.

Remember...when you leave a comment, just sign in as "anonymous", but be sure to type your name (first and last) and grade at the end of your comment.  I have left a comment as an example.

Good luck.


P.S.  Each person may leave up to 3 different comments.
P.S.  Teachers and others:  We welcome your comments, as well.  You just won't be able to win. :(
image via kmpaint.com  

Book of the Week: Who's Haunting the White House?: The President's Mansion...

...and All the Ghosts Who Live There.

Welcome to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC…better known as the White House. From the outside, it looks innocent enough. But step through its front gate and you may be surprised by what you find! From ghostly sightings of Abigail Adams to strange happenings in the Lincoln Bedroom, the book Who's Haunting the White House? showcases the spooky side of history.  Check it out!

You'll find this book in the 100's section.  Call number 133.1.

3:15 Stories

Love to read a good, scary short story?  Enjoy watching scary movies?  With the 3:15 series by author Patrick Carman you get the best of both worlds.  You'll listen, read and watch.  Designed to be read in 15 minutes or less, each story is available as an app for 0.99.  Check it out. 

FIRST, click HERE to watch a short video about the series.


THEN watch the trailer for "Buried Treasure", the first story in the series, below.

Book of the Week: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

October is here and it just happens to be one of my favorite months for reading.  Who doesn't love a good ghost story?  So for this month, each of our Book of the Week selections will be something to send a tingle down your spine.

 

 

The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy by Alvin Schwartz is one of the best collection of stories for upper elementary and middle school students around.  Each book contains short works of folklore and urban legends with some songs and "jump" stories.  One of my favorite pieces is "Harold", which is found in Scary Stories 3:  More Tales to Chill Your Bones.

 

 

Happy hauntings reading!