Easy Bib App

EasyBib released their citation app for Android devices. It allows users to scan the barcode of any book and automatically create the citation in either MLA, APA, or Chicago format.

Library Search is now an App for your phone!!

Just go to you app store and search Destiny Quest. The app is free and allows you to check your account, write reviews, etc. You must enter the url for the media center (destiny.bremencs.com), select your school, and enter your username and password. If you don't know your username, see Mrs. Wilson

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari (5.4/12.0)

I finished Ashes, Ashes over the weekend. It wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be- it had such promise- but on the plus side, it did end! It is not a series, thank goodness. I was so tired of reading a book and then having to wait a year to find out what happens next!  Lucy is the sole survivor of her family after a plague kills the majority of the worlds population. She is struggling to survive on her own in the wilderness, but she eventually meets a boy named Aidan who lives in a camp of other survivors. The people of the camp accept Lucy and she works in the field to earn her keep. However, they are not safe. Sweepers will randomly invade the camp and take some of the survivors. Eventually, the reader discovers that the Sweepers are actually after Lucy, because she is the only known person to have survived the plague despite not being vaccinated. There is more to the story, but I'm not going to give away anything else. This is another distopian book, so of enjoy Hunger Games, River Rats, etc, you will enjoy this one too.

What I'm Reading

I finished Son of Neptune over the break. I enjoyed it, but I still like the Lost Hero better. I am currently reading Ashes, Ashes (5.4/12.0) by Jo Treggiari. It is another dystopian novel. Lucy, the main character, is the only from her family to survive a world wide plague that took out 99% of the population. She is living just outside what was New York City in a shelter hidden in the woods. She soon learns that the Sweepers, people who are supposed to help contain the plague, are after her. It seems pretty interesting so far.

How to Extend Your Desktop

Teachers- this will allow you to show a video clip on your SmartBoard while still allowing you to continue to work on your computer.

How to Extend Your Desktop Instructions


Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Break. I am going to be finishing up Son of Neptune and working on my crafts for the Christmas Shoppe!

Free Scrapbook Fonts

Below is a link to a website that offers free scrapbook fonts. They are available for you to download and install on your computer (mac or pc). They are super cute and new ones are published each month.



http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/freescrapbookfonts/

GaETC... and other "stuff"

Just got back from GaETC. This was my first year going and I loved it. So much great information and I got a ton of samples for the teachers!

I attended sessions on everything from BrainPOP to the LDS to Georgia PBS to online professional development. I think one of the main things that I am going to focus on will be making my RSS feed manageable. Mine is SO NOT!! I think by cutting it down to fewer feeds I will actually get more from them. I also want to make a personal goal to feature at least two resources to teachers each month.

On another note, I finished The Death Cure, the 3rd book in the Maze Runner series. It didn't really end the way I wanted it to, but I can't complain. At least it didn't leave me hanging! There have been a ton of kids who have gotten hooked on the series this year. I know they are super excited to get their hands on the last one. Also, 5th grade book club is going great. We have about 5 girls who show up early in the mornings to read. We have a great time eating breakfast and discussing our books!

Scholastic This is Teen

Scholastic is starting a new Facebook page just for teens!
On facebook.com/thisisteen, teens can interact with their friends, and with favorite authors like Libba Bray, Meg Cabot, Maggie Stiefvater, Markus Zusak, and Kevin Brooks. They can:

	Participate in weekly author Q&As
	Check out event listings
	Find book suggestions based on their interests
	Explore videos and events
	Check out the comprehensive author and book gallery,
	and book finder

September Recap!

Wow! I don't know where September went. I stunk it up at blogging last month. Let me update you on what's happening in the media center: We had our BMS Book Fair last week and sold almost $5,000. We get to keep 60% of that to buy books! I'll be ordering those soon. We also just got in a HUGE book order from Follett, so we have tons of new books. We ordered a lot in the 2.0-2.9 range, but we also got the newest books in several series for older readers.

As for what I've been reading- well, it's not a lot. I just finished Girl in the Arena (5.9/12.0) by Lise Haines. It was not my favorite. It is set in current day, but American culture is very different. Beginning with an underground movement in the 60's, Gladiator style fighting has grown in popularity and is now a televised event worldwide. Not all matches are a fight to the death, but many are. When Lyn's stepfather is killed in the arena and his opponent picks up her dowry bracelet, Glad rules require that she marry him or risk loosing her family's house. She decides to fight him instead. To me it was a little boring because her stepfather's fight was at the very beginning and her fight at the very end. Not much happened in the middle. This book is really a commentary on our society and how easily people are influenced but both news and social media.

I also read 13 Little Blue Envelopes (5.0/9.0) by Maureen Johnson and Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (4.5/4.0) by James Patterson. Both of these are on the new Nook set. I enjoyed them very much. They were cute, easy to read books. 13 Envelopes is definitely a girlie book while I think everyone would like Middle School.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (4.8/16.0)

Divergent is one of the books that I loaded on the new nooks. I think it is going to be the first book in a series, but it was a good stand alone book too. I really enjoyed reading it. It is set in a futuristic world were when children turn 16 they must decide which faction to join. There faction will determine their jobs, where they live, and how they live. Tris, the main character decides to leave her family and join the Dauntless faction. Right away she realizes something is not right. She stumbles across a plot between the Dauntless and Erudite factions to overthrow the government. She must stop them to save her family, who are government leaders.