Take care of those books!

It's our first week back to school after Winter Break, and my New Year's resolution is to have less books to repair!

But see, I can't make that happen on my own. In order for my Book Hospital to have far fewer patients, students need to take care of their books better. And for that to happen, we must review proper book care rules. I know it doesn't sound thrilling, but it's the best way to keep our books happy and healthy and ready for tons of checkouts. So, all week long, at every grade level, we are going to read books and do activities that will remind students how to take care of their library books.

One of my favorite books to read about book care is The Shelf Elf by Jackie Mims Hopkins, illustrated by Rebecca Thornsburgh. Skoob, the Shelf Elf, is responsible for keeping the library neat and tidy, and in this book, he reviews several tips like using a shelf marker, keeping books away from food and drink, and using a bookmark. There's a Book Hospital in this book, so I like to show students that I have one too!

With younger students, I'll read Mr. Wiggle's Book by Paula Craig and Carol Thompson, illustrated by Bobbie Houser. In this book, Mr. Wiggle is quite sad that someone has mistreated his book. Each page illustrates a different way that a book can be damaged, which is a great discussion starter for how we should treat our books.

Earlier in the year, we read What Happened to Marion's Book? by Brook Berg, illustrated by Nathan Alberg. This story follows Marion the hedgehog who gets to check out from the library for the first time and has many accidents with her borrowed book - from dropped jam to a spin in the washing machine, Marion's book is ruined. In the end, Marion confesses to the librarian that she tried to repair the book herself (oh no!) but ended up totally destroying it. The librarian was understanding, but a ruined book does mean Marion will have to pay to replace it...

For LOTS more book care lesson ideas, check out the Elementary Library Routines wiki, where I found another activity I'll use with students on the SmartBoard - the No, No, Never, Never! game.

Finally, I love free bookmarks, so I printed two different types - the Do's and Don'ts for Library Lovers (a poem) and Hardie Gramatky's classic illustrations.

Here's to hoping that 2012 will be a year of healthy books!