It's Not Too Late to "Get Caught Reading" This Summer!

The long lazy weeks of summer may be coming to an end soon (and we're looking forward to seeing students back at Prospect!) but it also isn't too late to enjoy some summer reading! Mrs. Swanson encouraged students to "Get Caught Reading" and have their picture taken with them reading somewhere.

Pictures can be emailed to Mrs. Swanson at rswanson@d181.org and they will be put in the display case outside Prospect Library at the beginning of the school year!

Check out some of the photos we have received so far:

Axis 360 eBook and Audiobook app

I am excited to announce a new resource for our students. Axis 360 allows students to listen to audio books or read eBooks. Along with content purchased for D181, we also belong to a consortia called eRead Illinois that makes even more content available to our students.  While Axis 360 is available on a computer, it is recommended that you download the Axis 360 app onto a mobile device to fully enjoy the content.

3rd and 4th graders will be introduced to the app on their school iPad during MRC. Click here for a direction sheet.

For trouble shooting, more information, and compatible devices see Baker & Taylor or eRead Illinois.

Family Reading Night

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Family Reading Night before Thanksgiving! Families had a blast learning the Samba, and exploring different languages, cultures, and continents.

At one station, families made up their own "porquoi" story. These are common in African and Native American legends to tell why or how something is the way it is.

Listen to the porquoi stories Prospect families recorded here on our Sound Cloud page.


See more pictures of our Family Reading Night below!

Aaron Reynolds Author Visit

On Tuesday afternoon, the kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders got a chance to hear from author Aaron Reynolds! He has written over 30 books, including Chicks and Salsa, Buffalo Wings, Creepy Carrots, and his newest book, Nerdy Birdy! He shared the book Nerdy Birdy and talked about his influences in writing the book. He wanted to include a message that what makes us different is what makes us truly awesome. Aaron also shared what it is like to be a picture book writer and how he came up with ideas for some of his other books, like Creepy Carrots. His presentation had students shrieking with laughter as well as listening attentively. Make sure you check out some of his books, and if you're interested in learning more about Aaron Reynolds, take a look at his website!

Linda Urban Author Visit

The fourth and fifth graders were lucky enough to be able to meet Linda Urban today! 
She had a wonderful message for students. She explained her journey as a writer. As a child, she loved getting positive comments about her writing and even won an award in elementary school. That felt great! However, later, a peer called her word choice weird. After that, she stuck to writing only nonfiction, including writing for her school newspaper. 

As an adult, she worked in a bookstore and used some of her writing talents to work in marketing. Being surrounded by authors during author events and running writing workshops sparked a desire to begin writing again. Still held back by fear, she began writing picture books in secret. Eventually, Mouse was Mad was published in 2009, followed by her middle grade books, including A Crooked Kind of Perfect.  She described getting great reviews, which made her feel good, although many mentioned her books how wonderful her character development was but that the books did not have much plot. She defined herself by these reviews, accepting that that was who she was as a writer - she was a writer who wrote more introspective, thoughtful books focused on characters. When her son asked her to write a book with "HAM" - humor, adventure, and mystery, she at first said she couldn't, but gave it a try! She looked at many other books as models, including Roald Dahl's works, and the end result was Milo Speck, Accidental Agent. Please run and get this creative adventure book immediately!

Linda also encouraged students to think quietly to themselves about something they really wanted to try to do, something they wanted to become better at. I 
The students were very engaged by Linda's presentation, which did not include any technology but kept them interested the whole time. Her themes of overcoming fear, taking small steps and finding models can connect with anyone. 

Reading Gives You Superpowers!

The creator of Captain Underpants draws and talks about the life-changing power of reading, and how important it is to choose your own books and read for fun! Have more fun at http://www.scholastic.com/captainunderpants.